28th December, 2023
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has revealed he wanted to become a musician, but his father discouraged him from taking up the craft.
He said rather than being a politician, he would have joined the entertainment industry as an artist.
Nicknamed the ‘Dancing Governor’ due to his jovial and dancing zeal with many of his dancing viral videos on social media.
Adeleke, who doubles as Davido’s uncle, is also the father of two Nigerian singers, B-Red and Sina Rambo.
The governor was criticized for always dancing during the campaigning period and was automatically deemed unfit by some individuals to run a state, while his supporters said such traits showed that he would be socially accessible by all.
During an interview on ARISE TV on Wednesday, the 63-year-old politician said he had wanted to be a musician since childhood.
He said: “Actually, I was supposed to be a musician right away. But my father, when we were growing up in the sixties, didn’t allow it. They didn’t believe that somebody should go and do music. They just wanted you to go to school. So he discouraged me. But I know that I have that talent. It’s the talent I passed on to my nephew and my son.
“If you play music now, I don’t know how I would just start dancing. My body would just start moving without knowing it.
“I got to America in 1981. The name of my school that time in Alabama was Jacksonville State University. It was in the countryside. At that time, the school was having their anniversary, a lot of activities were happening there. So I picked the dancing part. So, after the stages, we got to the finals.
“So, to cut a long story short, I won. I remember vividly, the president of our school was trying to pronounce my name – Ademola Adeleke – he called me Jackson. And at that time Michael Jackson was reigning. So that’s how I got the name Jackson.”