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The fist civilian governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, is dead. He was 62 years old.
Adeleke lost the battle with death Sunday morning at a private hospital in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. He was said to have suffered heart attack.
Until his death, he represented Osun West at the Senate.
The deceased senator was a two-time Nigerian senator who represented the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State from 2007 to 2011 and was elected again under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
Adeleke, a socialite, was thought to be among aspirants for the governorship seat in the 2018 election.
His death will be a blow to the APC in Ede where he held sway as the most popular and influential politician in the town till date.
He defected to the APC preparatory to the 2015 elections, and his defection further weakened the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state which strengthened the chances of Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the polls.