Billionaire businessman Deji Adeleke, father of Afrobeats star Davido, has revealed that he prayed for voters in Osun State to accept money allegedly offered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the governorship election but still vote for his younger brother, Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Deji made the disclosure after Ademola secured a second term in office following the August 15 governorship election.
He said he turned to prayer after hearing reports about the amount of money allegedly being spent by the APC to influence voters during the election.
According to him, the APC allegedly spent about N60 billion during the poll, with some voters reportedly offered as much as N50,000 in exchange for their votes.
Ademola, who contested under the Accord Party, defeated APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji with 511,067 votes to 444,815.
The outcome marked the second consecutive governorship election defeat for the APC in Osun State, following Ademola’s victory over the then-incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola, in 2022.
Oyetola, who is now the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, remained a prominent APC figure in the state and participated in the party’s campaign during the 2026 election.
Rather than attempting to match the alleged financial strength of the opposition, Deji said he relied on his faith and prayed for his brother’s victory.
“On the day of the election, when I heard about the kind of money they were spending, I went back to my little corner in my room and I knelt down and I prayed to God Almighty and I said, ‘God Almighty, let people collect their money but still vote for Ademola Adeleke,’” he said.
“They spent 60 billion as we heard. Some places they bought votes for as high as 50,000, for one single vote.”
Deji maintained that the Adeleke camp’s victory was not the result of having more financial resources or a stronger political structure than the APC, but rather its reliance on God.
“The only reason why we defeated Oyetola is not because we’re bigger or spent more money than him,” he said.
The businessman further explained that his faith has continued to influence his approach to politics and public life, noting that he regularly turns to the Bible during his prayers.
“When I kneel down to pray every day, I have some Bible passages and verses that I read and pray with. And this is part of my testimony. Isaiah 41:10,” he said.
Deji also said his strong belief in God had made him less concerned about political influence, power or seeking proximity to influential individuals.
“I am not afraid or bothered about anything because my belief in God Almighty is very strong and that is why you don’t see me running after power, people in high places or competing with people to go to visit anyone,” he said.
“I’d rather ask God Almighty to help me in my little corner.”