Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Staff Pension Board, Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige, has recounted how a seemingly ordinary act of generosity from Alhaja Bose Adedibu, wife of the late political icon Chief Lamidi Adedibu, became the defining moment that transformed his political destiny.
In an exclusive interview with IbadanCity Announcer, Hon. Ige revealed that the encounter, which occurred more than two decades ago, marked a divine turning point in his life — turning him from an obscure youth activist into one of the trusted political protégés of the formidable Molete political empire.
Hon. Ige explained that his journey into politics began shortly after graduating from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, when he joined a youth group known as the Youth Awareness Movement. Through that platform, he became popular among young people for organizing free coaching and extra-mural classes within his community.
“I joined politics fully after leaving The Polytechnic, Ibadan, through a youth forum called Youth Awareness Movement,” he said. “I became popular among the youth for organizing coaching classes and extra-mural lessons. People in my community began to take notice.”
He said his commitment to community service soon earned him recognition from local elders, who began to insist that visiting politicians must involve him in their engagements if they wanted the community’s support. That invitation into the political fold would later shape his future.
However, the early years were difficult. “My parents didn’t support me at first because we didn’t have the financial strength,” he recalled. “At that time, politics was dominated by the Molete group, and if you didn’t have money or access to the power circle, you were easily sidelined.”
The turning point, according to him, came in 2002, during preparations for a visit by the then–PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbe. Every aspirant was mandated to contribute ₦40,000 to support the visit, a sum beyond his reach at the time.
“I didn’t have that kind of money,” he admitted. “I kept dodging meetings and promising to pay later.”
It was then that destiny, in his words, “spoke through kindness.” Alhaja Bose Adedibu, noticing his absence from meetings, summoned him to her home. “She called me one day asking if I had paid,” he narrated. “I said not yet, and she told me to come see her. When I arrived, she handed me ₦40,000 to settle my dues.”
Hon. Ige said he went straight to make the payment, but the accountant noticed the scent of the cash and suspected that it came from Chief Adedibu’s cupboard. “He went to report to Baba,” he recounted. “Baba called me immediately and asked, ‘Did Alhaja give you this money?’ I was afraid, but I told him the truth.”
To his greatest surprise, the legendary politician’s reaction was not anger but affirmation. “Baba smiled and said, ‘This is a signal that he is Alhaja’s candidate. If we don’t pick him, we won’t find it easy in this house.’ Instantly, everyone began to congratulate me,” Hon. Ige said.
Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige described the experience as proof that compassion and goodwill still have a place in politics. “It was God’s plan, and He used Alhaja Bose Adedibu to make it happen,” he concluded.
