In the present political circle, you’re not likely to find too many female politicians who come anywhere near the pretty, trendy and curvy former Ogun Lawmaker, Honourable Adijat Adeleye Oladapo. Apart from her remarkable performance in her constituency during her time, a feat she insists no one is yet to match, this
A couple of months ago, this ebony beauty and shapely politician spoke to City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL, and she revealed a lot about her humble beginnings and how she has fared in her almost 25 years of political experience in Ogun State. Plus why she is not contesting any elective post for now.
I’ve always been looking forward to asking you this question, madam, if you weren’t into politics what would you have been doing?
I’ve been asked this same question over and over again, and my answer remains the same. If you have been following me lately, you would see that I’ve been moving towards that side. If I wasn’t in politics, I would have been in the media. Media is like an umbrella for acting, communication, broadcasting and all that.
I asked that question because knowing you, and from the many different pretty pictures of you that we get to see all the time, anyone would see that you possibly could’ve fitted easily into any part of the glamorous line. You could’ve been a beautician, a showbiz person, a fashion stylist, or anything along those lines because you have the carriage and whatever you wear suits you perfectly…
Well, in a way you’re actually not far from it. The fashion world, the media world, and showbiz just like you said, if I wasn’t doing politics, I certainly would’ve been somewhere around those sectors.
For someone with your kind of personality who likes to look good, you have a bubbly spirit, you like to socialize, I know for instance that you are also a prominent member of the prestigious Abeokuta Sports Club, how do you put this bubbly side of you aside and face the serious responsibilities of politics?
On several occasions, people have had to ask me this same question. Some people know me by name but they don’t know me in person. And when they eventually get to meet me, they’re often like, ‘oh, you don’t even look like a politician.’ And I ask them, how do politicians look? They say, you don’t even look like a Legislator, and I’m wondering, how are we supposed to look? I just live in my own world. I just want to be me. I hate pretence. Irrespective of which office I’m occupying, I just want to be me. For me, when I’m working, I’m working. People who knew me when I was in the House of Assembly knew a different person. But if you probably met me at the social level, then you’re meeting another person. So, what I tell them is, if you met me in my capacity as a Legislator, that was Honourable Adija. But on a social level, like where we are right now, this Adija Motunrayo. This is me, this is who I am. But when I am working, then I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. I’ve got to prove that yes, I know what I am doing. It’s not just about beauty. It’s not just about showbiz, it’s not just about going out and attending social functions or being seen as a fashionista. I want people to know that, yes, there’s something upstairs and that I’ve got tons of it.
Everyone would agree that there’s a whole lot to Honourable Adijat. You’ve got the beauty, you’re smart and you’ve got a lot going for you upstairs, which is why you’ve been able to achieve all you’ve achieved politically. Where did all of these evolve from? Take us back a bit into your childhood.
See, let me be sincere with you, I did not really have it smooth while growing up. I had all the ups and downs you could possibly imagine. When I tell people that for a long period in my life, I worked as a daily contribution collector in Mile 12, people don’t believe it.
Were you born in Lagos?
Yes, I was actually born in Mushin. I grew up in Agege, then from there to Abule-Egba, and from Abule-Egba to Agbado, and from Agbado to Akute. You can see I’ve really traversed a large part of Lagos. So, when people see me, they’re filled with admiration and all that. But if I tell them my story, they’ll see a different person. I have been through so much within this short span of my life and one thing I’ve discovered in life is that what will be will eventually be. If I can be who I am today, then I don’t know that person who cannot become somebody tomorrow. For me, I just want to live my life the best way I can. I want to enjoy my life. I’m not looking for huge wealth, no, I’m only looking for wealth that can cater for me, and my children will be okay and I will be able to touch lives positively so that anytime I leave this world people will be able to talk positively about me. I do tell people, it’s not the amount of money you have in your bank account that makes you a wealthy person, but the amount of positive impact you have been able to make on others. Like I always say to people, I am not a wealthy woman o, I am only a great spender. I am not wealthy. There’s a big difference between the two. There are indeed very wealthy people who do not believe in spreading their wealth around, while there are those who do not really have that much but are always trying to give out the little they can and impact positively on society. That’s the category I strive to emulate.
Interesting, so in other words, people can only see the glory, but they do not know the story..
Oh, yeah, exactly, they only see the glory, they don’t know the story. You know there was a day I was speaking at a forum and some young ladies were like I want to be like Honourable Adija and I am like, okay, you want to be like Honourable Adija, but can you trek from Yaba to Akoka everyday while you’re going to school? Do you want to collect daily contributions in Mile 12? Can you hawk bread? Because these are part of the things I did growing up. And look at where I am today. Yes, you can see me partying, but I work very hard and party hard as well.
You had two glorious terms at the House of Assembly, what was the experience like? What were your takeaways?
It was a life changing experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to touch lives. Though if I had more opportunity I would’ve done more, but I thank God that I was able to do the little I could do. Up till this very moment, I still stand tall to say that what I have done while representing my constituency at the House of Assembly, before or after me, no one is yet to match it. I can confidently say that and I stand to be corrected. If there’s anybody with a contrary opinion, feel free to call me and let us face each other. But you know, as public officers, there’s nothing you do that people will be satisfied with. We tend to confuse people in the executives with legislators. As a legislator, you’re not supposed to start embarking on all manner of projects. But because of the failure in governance, legislators now begin to scramble to do projects in order to remain relevant. But I believe, to the best of my ability, I was able to do my best.
How did you get dragged into politics? To be honest, you don’t look like you were cut out for it from the start.
Ah! That’s a long story ooo. It was actually accidental. You could call it an accidental discharge (laughs). It was at an accidental function, a function I never planned for. My father was supposed to attend a meeting, he couldn’t go, he then asked me to go represent him and I went there. On getting there, I discovered it was a political meeting and because I made some contributions at the meeting, one thing led to the other and I got hooked. And I was hardly out of school then. So, when I tell people I’ve been in politics for almost 25 years, people are always like, how old are you? How can you say you’ve been in politics for over twenty years? It’s because I started very early. I was not up to twenty years when I started politics and to the glory of God, it paid off for me. I got into the House of Assembly at thirty, and three days after our inauguration I turned 31 years. This means if the election was to be a year earlier, I would not have been eligible because the minimum age is 30 and I got to the house at 30 and I did eight years. I left the House at 38, less than 40 years. This same year I was appointed as one of the Senior Legislative aides to the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, an office that I still hold up till now. God has been good to me. Probably God wanted me to use my office so he let me go through all those things while I was young. I got pregnant while I was in secondary school, I dropped out of school to go have the child, and the baby eventually died. I went back to school and picked up the pieces of my life. I thank God because not everybody that went through the sort of situation I went through was able to pick up the pieces of their lives and make something out of it. But God has been able to make something out of my life. It’s not my doing, it’s His grace. It’s the mercy of God. He said I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy on and He had mercy on me. I will be forever grateful to God.
So, what’s the next thing now for Honourable Adijat?
Funny enough, I declared for House of Reps. I actually contested for Ewekoro Federal House of Representatives in 2015 under the platform of PDP but I lost the election. And like I do say, I lost the election to Buhari, not to anybody. The presidential elections were also holding about the same time and you know what was happening then, people wanted a change. So, I believe I lost the election to the president. But, then, for me, my life is so simple, I moved on immediately because I believe God is indirectly telling me, slow down, at the pace you’re going, you could crash land. Slow down. I’m just 42 years old, so I still have a whole lot ahead of me to show the wonders of God. Again, just months ago, I declared for House of Representatives, but one morning I just woke and said I wasn’t interested again. I ‘undeclared’ myself (breaks into laughter).
Let me put you on the spot here, and I would like you to give me a very honest response.
I know you’re married, but from the depth of your heart please tell us, in a week like how many toasters do you get?
(Bursts into laughter) Ah! That’s a big one o!
Yes, I know. But truth is, you’re the sort of lady that gets attention the moment you step into a room or hall full of people, particularly men.
Well, I’m getting older now, I’m no longer as young as I used to be. I do tell people I’m not beautiful but God gave me a great figure and that is my greatest asset.
I think you’re being modest by saying you’re not beautiful, that’s not what we see.
(Laughs) You know there are some faces that you see and you’ll be like, who owns this face? That’s not the same with me. Mine is, probably if you see me from behind and you’re like, who owns this figure and you want to see the face. And I think the face is proportionate to my figure. Even me, as a person, when I see women who are extremely beautiful, I admire them and I want to be their friend. So, if the opposite sex is saying, I like you, I want to be your friend, it’s not always that they’re saying they want to sleep with you. I have a lot male friends. In fact, I have more male friends than female friends. Although, at the start, some of them may have come in form of ‘I want to go with you,’ and I tell them, ah, Ayo and Teju, if they get hold of you, not to talk of Baba Ayo himself, (laughs). But eventually, I turn them to my friends and we’re able to benefit mutually from each other outside sex. I will call them admirers, not toasters.
Any favourite foreign designer?
That was before. But since I met one baaadest designer, her name is Omolara Kowoti of Dunskani Designs, I stopped patronizing foreign stuffs, except of course for Tee shirts, Jeans and stuffs like that. She’s my designer and she’s very, very good. She designs all my clothes for me. From my evening wears, to office wears, she does everything. There’s nothing she cannot design, if I tell her to design my pants and bra for me, she will. She’s that good.
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