Ola Akinwunmi
In a rare glimpse into his personal life, former presidential candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo reveals his passion for environmental preservation, philanthropy, and sports. Adebayo, who ran for president under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has set an ambitious goal to plant at least 100 million trees in his lifetime.
Adebayo’s love for the environment is evident in his forestry endeavors and ranches in northern Nigeria. His commitment to sustainability is also reflected in his support for renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions.
But Adebayo’s philanthropic efforts extend far beyond environmental conservation. His compound in Ondo Town is home to scores of people from all over Nigeria, who receive food, shelter, and education courtesy of Adebayo’s generosity. He has also provided school buses for local schools and installed solar-powered streetlights throughout the town.
Speaking in a recent interview with journalists in his home town in Ondo State, Adebayo spoke about his personal life, including how he met his wife and while some people travel to foreign countries to relax at their leisure, he relaxes at home when he has to. “Some people say when they want to relax they travel and go to places. But for me, when I want to relax, I stay at home. Secondly, I relax by doing sports. I have an interest in sports, I play soccer. I used to have a serious interest in boxing but my wife is not happy with it,” he said.A visit to his splendid abode in Ondo Town GRA, clearly explains what Adebayo truly represents. His love for white colour is not hidden, as all the buildings are painted in sparkling white. He is also known to always dress in white garb.What could be behind his passion for white colour, he said: “I’m attracted to white because it is easy for me to detect if something is not clean. It also depicts transparency. I don’t like something unclean or dirty. White enables you to know when something is unclean. As a lawyer, I wear white and black. White symbolizes transparency, and that is the way I see it.”Adebayo’s passion for sports is another aspect of his personality that shines through. He has organized the annual Prince Adewole Adebayo Christmas Marathon, which attracted participants from across Africa. His goal is to make the event a regular feature on the international sporting calendar.Through his various endeavors, Adebayo demonstrates that politics and philanthropy can go hand-in-hand. As he continues to pursue his goals in environmental preservation, education, and sports, Adebayo remains a shining example of a politician with a heart of gold.