ERELU OLUSOLA OBADA: People, Passion, and Posterity Drive My Politics

Erelu Olusola Obada (nee Agbeja), two-term deputy governor of Osun and ex-defence minister is in the league of Nigerian amazons who have made giant strides in their endeavours. Prior to her foray into politics, Obada carved a niche in her early 20s, breaking the glass ceiling as advertising officer of the defunct Nigeria Airways, overseeing offices scattered across the globe. Before her name resonates in politics, she made a mark in finance and law, where she emerged top of her class at the University of Buckingham, England. Erelu Obada, who turns 70 today, shares with Funke Olaode her life’s trajectory

Accomplished and fulfilled, she has seen it all with successes as stars in the glittering sky. At 70, you may conclude amiable Erelu Obada has ticked all her boxes. Her sonorous voice signposts her Lagos Island expansive home. Looking gorgeous in pink ankara with a bit of embellishment, she cuts the image of an achiever at peace with herself. Her glowing skin is enchanting. Any beauty routine?

“I don’t have any beauty routine. I use whatever soap I see,” says Erelu Obada. “I use the normal cream to rob my body. I don’t eat anything special. I eat what catches my fancy.”
Erelu Obada needs no introduction as a top Nigerian female politician with indelible marks at the state and national levels. Born June 27, 1951, she smacks of gratitude and grace. How does she feel turning 70?
“I feel grateful to God because I look back, and it is just like yesterday that thing started happening in my life, and today I am 70,” she enthuses. “I was born on June 27, 1951. It is a time to give thanks to my God because He has made me do great things by his grace, not by my power but by His grace. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I am overwhelmed with joy, and I give all glory to God.”

Though an intrepid and fulfilled politician, Erelu Obada finds fulfilment at the home front due to the unflinching support she received from her family.
“Honestly, I feel fulfilled as a mother and wife, which is my first major responsibility. Every other thing, no matter how high you have climbed in life, goes into insignificance if you don’t have joy within your family,” she explains. “And of course, I have tried to do unto others as I would want them to do unto me. So I feel very happy and fulfilled, not just as a career woman, not just as a politician, not just as somebody who has risen to high office. But because of the love that I have for people. You cannot be a successful politician if you do not have people around you. So I just see people, I see families, and I see friends. It all emanates really from who you are and the way you have been brought up. Your empathy for people, your love for people, those things God gave me, and I have been able to impart it to those around me and everybody that I come in contact with.”

Born into the Agbeja family of Ilesa and Ibodi, in Osun, she attended Queens School, Ede/Ibadan. She later proceeded to Watford College of Technology, England, obtaining a diploma in Advertising Administration with a Second-Class Upper Division. She also attended the University of Buckingham, England, and bagged the LLB (Hons) Second Class Upper Division, graduating top of her class. She later attended the Nigerian Law School in 1986, earning the BL (Honors), and was called to the bar. At the tender age of 24, she became the advertising officer of Nigeria Airways, charged with marketing the airline across the globe, with offices in Rome, Amsterdam, London, Abidjan, and other West African countries. She left the airline to pursue her dream of becoming a legal practitioner, ultimately becoming the Managing Partner of Olusola Agbeja and Co. She was at different times the managing director of Irongate Finance and Trust Company Limited (a finance company that fully discharged its obligations to the investing public) and Materials Management Services Limited.

She brought her entrepreneurial success and sterling qualities to bear on her political career as the deputy governor of Osun through dint of hard work, dedication, grassroots mobilization, and strong belief in God, radiating enthusiasm, intellectual capacity, and profound humility.
As a deputy governor, she supervised the 30 local government areas and the area office of Osun for effective delivery of dividends of democracy to the teeming populace at the grassroots level. Her loyalty to the then-Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and dedication to state duties knew no bounds. Testament to that was being awarded ‘Most Loyal Deputy Governor;’ also honoured as ‘Bridge Builder’ and ‘Grassroot Mobiliser.’

For Erelu Obada, going into politics was a deliberate attempt to right the wrong around her. An ailment that almost took her life became her launching pad. Going down memory lane, she narrates, “I have always been interested in happenings around me. I had ideas of what changes I will love to see either in the state or nationally, just like any normal Nigerian. But what brought me to the fore was that I have always discussed with my husband that I would love to go into politics. But the timing of it, what happened was that I had a near-death experience in 1999/2000 around December. I almost died. I had a bad allergic reaction to some medications that I had taken. But God saved me. After that, I said to my husband, ‘Tunde, that is how I would have died, and I will not achieve all the things I said I wanted to achieve.’ And he said, ‘Hmm! Maybe this is the best time to go into politics, so things you want to achieve you can achieve. At least you will give it a try.’ That is what pushed me into politics. In fact, my husband was the one who coined the theme of my campaign, ‘God’s Own Project.’ That is what I campaigned with GOP.”

With the backing of her husband and good people of Osun who rallied round her, Erelu Obada traversed the length and breadth of Osun selling the Peoples Democratic Party (unpopular at that time in the state) to her people. “I got a lot of support from my people, and that totally encapsulates what politics is to me. It is not the money you have. It is the people’s lives you have touched in one way or the other for good. So it has been very fulfilling. It was like God has prepared me for politics just by the person I am. No pretences, no nothing, just me being myself, that is all. And so it was like a new chapter in my life, and I gave it a shot, and God blessed it. And not having had prior experience really politically, like some will say that they have been a counsellor or they have held one position or the other. So I came out wanting to become governor of Osun state. Why? Because I felt that it was only through that office that I will be able to carry out or execute the kind of things I wanted to change or bring about in Osun. So, I went round all the nooks and crannies of Osun, dancing, singing, and campaigning for my party, the PDP, which was not even popular in Osun. It was the AD that was in power, but my politics was different. I wanted to be part of a party that gave women the chance to be whatever they wanted to be. I am glad, and I thank God that he guided me in taking that decision at that time.

So I accepted to run with my governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and God blessed our partnership.”
A well-grounded individual, over the years, she has gained a wealth of experience holding key positions. After her tenure as deputy governor, she served as Minister of State for Defence and later defence minister between 2011 to 2013. Of significance was her legacy while at the Ministry of Defence. Erelu Obada was instrumental in establishing a battalion-strength army barracks at Ibodi-Ijesa and a water dam at Kajola-Ijesa to serve Ilesa and its environs (which had no running water for over 35 years).

Erelu Obada is a chip off the old block and product of rich heritage. Her father, David Olatunde Agbeja, was a celebrated permanent secretary in the Old Western Region and one-time managing director of National Bank.

“I had a lovely family, and I had a beautiful upbringing. My father was a disciplinarian of the highest order, but then he was also full of love. If you have done something wrong and he chastises you, he would later show you love,” she states.
She adds, “He was such a lovely father. He treated his children as his friends. He did not pressure me into anything whatsoever. He will let you know that all he was giving you was education, and you can become anything you want in life, saying, ‘Do not think that I have houses and money to leave for you after I die. So the best thing for you is to study and become the person you want to be.’

Besides being a successful politician, Erelu Olusola Obada is also a fulfilled mother, wife, and grandmother. She is happily married to Otunba (Dr) Felix Babatunde Obada, whom she met at the Redeemed Christian Church God, Oyingbo, Lagos. Was it love at first sight?
She explains, “I am not sure now whether it was love at first sight. But he seems quite interested, and I took another look at him, and I was also interested. So we started going out. He is very good-looking, so that attracts you. Then he spoke very well, looked polished, and I could see the fear of God in him, and he loves people. As time went on, we enjoyed each other’s company so much. We were little kids, always playing, always talking, up till today, he is still my very best friend.”

Any secret to their marriage longevity? “Not really,” she points out. “It is the fear of God, number one; liking each other. I won’t say loving each other but liking each other. We are best friends. At a stage, your children will go away, and you are left with each other. Like today, they have all gone to their various husband’s houses. They have married their wives, and everybody is happy in their homes. So it is just he and me, and we are like little children. We are still best of friends. Of course, we quarrel, but we are always guided by what God wants us to do, which is always to settle our quarrels before we sleep every day. So we have sessions where we tell each other that I don’t like what you did today, and we settle, and that is it.”

She did not hesitate to add about her husband, saying, “His support helped me in my political journey. My husband more or less took over when I was in Osun most of the eight years. Our children had already grown. Some of them were in universities. I think we had only the last child at home. Honestly, it would not have been easy if I don’t have a very supportive husband. It would have been impossible. But because he felt no mountain his wife could not climb, he was there at the home front taking care of things. I thank God for his life because it was a great sacrifice.”
Seven years after serving as a minister, Erelu Obada remains a PDP member, a conscientious politician. “The most important thing in life is the love that you share with people. Always being there for people in whatever capacity, you must be there for them. It is all about people. The fear of God has helped me so much. I am always afraid of doing the wrong thing,” she says.
As Osun stands still to celebrate Erelu Obada today, the celebrant believes her best has yet to come. “I know God is not done with me yet,” she thinks. “He will take me places, and when I say ‘places,’ I meant in the service of my people in any capacity, not necessarily in an elected position but in any other capacity. So long as I am serving the people in any capacity that God wants me to. The love that people have shown me is enormous, and because it is so, I can only say, father, I thank you. So when I say father, I thank you, it comes from my heart entirely. The level of preparations that they have made is mind-boggling. So I give glory to God. I thank God for how far He has brought me and for what he has done for me. I am eternally grateful.”