Nigerian singer Adebayo Adeleke, popularly known as B-Red, has offered a spirited defence of his family’s long-standing involvement in politics, insisting that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and other members of the influential family are motivated by public service rather than financial gain.
B-Red, who is Governor Adeleke’s son, said his family had accumulated wealth long before its involvement in politics and therefore had no reason to seek public office for personal enrichment.
Speaking during an appearance on the Echo Room podcast, the singer said the Adeleke family’s participation in politics was driven by a desire to improve people’s lives. His comments were reported on Tuesday.
“We don’t need politics for money; we have been rich for a long time. My family is only in politics to help,” B-Red said.
The singer went further, expressing confidence that Nigeria could witness significant improvement if his father were ever elected president.
“If my dad, Governor Ademola Adeleke, becomes the President of Nigeria, things will improve drastically,” he said.
However, B-Red quickly added a personal caveat, saying that despite his confidence in his father’s ability to govern at the national level, he would prefer that the Osun governor did not pursue the presidency because of the enormous pressure attached to the office.
“But I don’t want my dad to be President because the pressure will be too much,” he said.
The remarks bring renewed attention to one of Nigeria’s most prominent political and business families, whose members have maintained a visible presence in public life, business and entertainment for decades.
The Adeleke family’s political history includes the late Isiaka Adeleke, who became the first civilian governor of Osun State in 1992 and later served in the Senate.
Ademola Adeleke subsequently followed the political path, serving as a senator before becoming governor of Osun State.
The family is also closely associated with businessman Adedeji Adeleke, founder of Pacific Holdings and father of Afrobeats superstar Davido.
B-Red’s assertion of long-standing family wealth is consistent with the Adeleke family’s established business profile, although his claim that its political involvement is motivated solely by a desire to help people remains his personal assessment.
The singer has made similar comments previously while discussing his father’s administration, saying the family was not pursuing government for financial gain.
His latest intervention comes at a politically significant moment for the Adeleke family.
Governor Adeleke recently secured another mandate in the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, defeating his closest challenger after a fiercely contested campaign.
Following that election, the governor also announced measures for victims of pre-election violence, while the Adeleke family pledged scholarships for children and dependants of those who lost their lives.
B-Red’s comments are likely to generate political debate, particularly his suggestion that his father could dramatically improve Nigeria if he eventually sought the presidency.
For supporters of the Osun governor, the remarks may reinforce attempts to project Adeleke’s political influence beyond the state. Critics, however, are likely to view the singer’s claims about family wealth and political motives as assertions that must ultimately be judged against the record of those holding public office.
For B-Red, however, the message was uncomplicated: the Adeleke family, he insists, had money before politics and regards public office as a vehicle for service rather than enrichment.
And while he believes his father could one day make a difference from Aso Rock, the singer appears in no hurry to see that ambition tested, saying the enormous burden of Nigeria’s presidency is one political promotion he would rather his father avoid.
