Hon. Risikat Ajoke Adegeye occupies a modest but important place in the political history of Lagos State. To many members of the public, her name became widely recognised because of her marriage to Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Adé, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated juju musicians. Yet her public life was not defined by marriage alone. She was also a politician, a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and a figure associated with grassroots politics in Amuwo Odofin.
Her death on 21 September 2021 attracted wide public attention. It came shortly before King Sunny Adé’s 75th birthday, a timing that made the news emotionally striking. Reports at the time described the moment as a heavy blow to her family, political associates and the Lagos political community. But beyond the sadness of the day, her life points to a larger story about women who served in state level politics without always receiving national attention.
Risikat Ajoke Adegeye belonged to the class of political actors whose influence was built through constituency work, party structures and institutional service. She was not a governor, minister or nationally dominant political figure. Her story was rooted in Lagos politics, especially in the Amuwo Odofin area, where representation, party loyalty and local visibility mattered.
The Road into Politics
Long before her name appeared in national headlines after her death, Risikat Adegeye had taken part in competitive politics. In a 2010 interview, she recalled that she had contested elections before eventually winning a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly. According to that account, she had earlier contested under the Peoples Democratic Party before joining the Action Congress.
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Her political journey reflected persistence. She stated that she lost a councillorship contest in Apapa in 1999 and later sought a House of Assembly seat in 2003 without success. Her eventual success came after she joined the Action Congress and secured the ticket to run in 2007. That victory placed her among the women who entered the Lagos legislature during Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
This background is important because it shows that her Assembly career was not accidental. It followed years of political effort, party movement and local ambition. It also reflects the wider nature of Lagos politics, where many office holders rise through local party networks before becoming known at state level.
Service in the Lagos State House of Assembly
Hon. Mrs Adeniyi Adegeye Ajoke served as a member of the 6th Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Amuwo Odofin I under the Action Congress of Nigeria. The 6th Assembly was inaugurated on 4 June 2007 and served until 3 June 2011.
Her constituency, Amuwo Odofin I, formed part of one of Lagos State’s important urban local government areas. Amuwo Odofin includes communities shaped by commerce, migration, residential growth and strong local political activity. Representation in such an area required contact with party members, residents, community leaders and constituency networks.
During her time in the Assembly, she was part of the state legislative institution at a period when Lagos was consolidating its political and administrative structures under the Fourth Republic. The House of Assembly played an important role in lawmaking, oversight and constituency representation. As one of the women in the legislature, her presence also contributed to the wider story of female participation in Lagos politics.
In the 2010 interview, she was also described as chair of an ad hoc committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. That position connected her public role with matters affecting women, families and vulnerable residents. It also reflected a common area of legislative concern for women representatives during the period, especially around welfare, poverty reduction and community support.
Life After the Assembly
Risikat Adegeye’s public life did not end with her elected term. After leaving the Lagos State House of Assembly, she remained linked to legislative administration and party politics. Reports and condolence statements after her death described her as a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission. Some accounts described her as a two term member of that commission.
The Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission is part of the institutional structure surrounding the legislature. It is less visible to the public than the Assembly chamber itself, but it is connected to the administrative life of the legislature. Her service there showed that her experience as a former lawmaker continued to have value within Lagos political and legislative circles.
She was also described as a former chairmanship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area. This shows that she remained active within the political life of her constituency after her Assembly service. In Lagos politics, such roles are significant because local government structures often serve as a foundation for wider party influence.
Marriage, Family and Public Attention
Risikat Ajoke Adegeye’s marriage to King Sunny Adé gave her name a visibility that extended beyond politics. King Sunny Adé is one of Nigeria’s most important musicians, known nationally and internationally for his contribution to juju music. Because of his fame, many reports of her death identified her through that relationship.
Her marriage was an important part of her public story, but it did not erase her own identity. She had already built a record as a political figure, former lawmaker and party participant. Her life joined two worlds that are both important in Nigerian public memory: music and politics.
Reports after her death said her son, George Folarin Olawande, confirmed the passing on behalf of the family. The family statement described her death as occurring after a brief illness in the early hours of Tuesday, 21 September 2021. It also identified her as a member of the 6th Assembly of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Death and Public Mourning
News of Risikat Adegeye’s death was received with sadness by her family, political associates and the Lagos political community. The Lagos State House of Assembly mourned her as a former member. Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and other political figures remembered her warmly, describing her as someone who maintained relationships with colleagues, staff and political associates.
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress also expressed grief over her passing. Public tributes described her in terms of loyalty, diligence, compassion and service. These tributes show the way she was remembered by those who knew her in political circles.
Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu also mourned her passing and commiserated with King Sunny Adé and the family. His condolence message placed her within the history of Lagos political service and acknowledged her association with Amuwo Odofin.
Her death, coming so close to King Sunny Adé’s 75th birthday, made the news especially painful for the family. What might have been a period of celebration became a moment of mourning and reflection.
Her Place in Lagos Political Memory
Risikat Ajoke Adegeye’s legacy rests on a combination of family identity, political service and community memory. She was the wife of a music legend, but she was also a woman who contested elections, entered the Lagos legislature and remained connected to public service after her elected tenure.
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Her story also reminds readers that state politics is not made only by the most powerful or most famous figures. Much of political history is built by local representatives, party members, commission appointees and constituency figures whose work may not always dominate national discussion. Adegeye belonged to that quieter but meaningful class of public actors.
Her place in the record is clear. She served in the 6th Lagos State House of Assembly as representative of Amuwo Odofin I from 2007 to 2011. She was later remembered as a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission and as a political figure in Amuwo Odofin. Her death on 21 September 2021 closed a chapter in both her family history and the political memory of those who knew her in Lagos.
Author’s Note
Risikat Ajoke Adegeye’s life is a reminder that history is not only shaped by the loudest names in public life. Her story brings together politics, family, service and remembrance. She was widely known as the wife of King Sunny Adé, but she also stood in her own right as a former Lagos lawmaker who represented Amuwo Odofin I, remained active in party politics and continued to be remembered by colleagues after her death. Her legacy is best preserved through the record of her service and the public memory of those who mourned her.
References
Lagos State House of Assembly, official list of 6th Assembly legislators, 2007 to 2011.
Lagos State House of Assembly, official list of 7th Assembly legislators, 2011 to 2015.
The Punch, reports on the death of Hon. Risikat Ajoke Adegeye and Lagos Assembly tributes, September 2021.
The Guardian Nigeria, report on the death of Hon. Risikat Ajoke Adegeye, September 2021.
Independent Newspaper Nigeria, report on Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu’s condolence message, September 2021.
P.M. News, 2010 interview with Hon. Risikat Ajoke Adegeye on her political journey.
