Being Wife of Dancing Governor: ‘What I discovered about the Adeleke family’

Ngozi Adeleke, the wife of Osun state Governor Ademola Adeleke, has opened up about her life and experiences as the state's First Lady. Originally from Imo state, she moved to the South West of Nigeria for her youth service and spent nearly 23 years in the banking industry before leaving in 2018 to support her husband's political career.

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I miss banking, but what would you have me do? I like being up and doing, facing challenges.

Adeleke described her transition from banking to her current role as manageable, noting that while she misses banking, she embraces the challenges of public life. "I like being up and doing, facing challenges," she stated. As First Lady, she finds joy in assisting the less fortunate, particularly women, widows, and individuals with disabilities. Her foundation, the Esther Adeleke Foundation, was inspired by her personal journey of seeking a child, which led her to support motherless babies.

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Women, widows, people living with disability, so many people to take care of, think of. It gives me joy and happiness.

She recounted how her charitable work with motherless babies brought her blessings, with many friends who joined her visits later receiving their own blessings. "When you take up motherless babies, pray along with them they will pray for you," she advised. Adeleke also shared her positive outlook on intertribal marriage, emphasizing openness to learning different customs. She humorously noted that while she has embraced many aspects of Yoruba culture, she has yet to acquire a taste for amala and ewedu.

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Before I touched my salary, I would first credit SOS’s account. From time to time I would gather my friends, go and visit them with materials, foodstuffs and so forth.