The Media Adviser to the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, has explained that his principal changed his name from Sulaimon Ogunleye to Solomon Adeola after converting from Islam to Christianity.
Adeola’s media aide, Kayode Odunaro, gave the explanation while responding to questions about the senator’s identity and name ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
Odunaro said there was nothing unusual about the name change, stressing that Adeola changed his name years before entering politics.
He said the senator was born into a Muslim family and adopted the name Solomon after becoming a Christian.
“Many people at some point in life have had cause to change their names. Even the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, once changed his name. His original name wasn’t Atiku Abubakar,” Odunaro said.
He added that Adeola had used the new name since his days at The Guardian newspaper.
“So, that is not an issue, and the senator has changed his name since he was at The Guardian. He was Sulaimon Ogunleye, but changing his religion from Islam to Christianity made him change his name.
“Solomon is the biblical name for Sulaimon. His father’s name is Ogunleye and Adeola. He only chose Adeola as his surname,” he said.
A former chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Wale Adedayo, had recently alleged that Adeola was originally known as Sulaimon Ogunleye and hailed from Ekiti State.
Adeola subsequently challenged Adedayo and others making similar claims to provide evidence or face legal action.
Odunaro maintained that changing one’s name did not imply any wrongdoing, noting that people could change their names for personal, religious or other reasons.