The emergence, last Monday, at the primary election of the renowned legal practitioner, human rights advocate and long-standing progressive stalwart, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, SAN, popularly known across the political landscape as KRAD, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer for the Osun Central Senatorial District, may ultimately be remembered as the defining moral and strategic turning point in the party’s recent history in Osun State.
This moment transcends the routine outcomes of an internal party primary. Rather, it represents a profound rescue mission for both the soul and electoral viability of the progressive fold in the State of the Virtue.
Had the party leadership succumbed to short-term political expediency by handing its senatorial ticket to a recently decamped lawmaker from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the APC would have plunged itself into an immediate crisis of ethical legitimacy. Such a decision would have sent a chilling and dangerous signal to the party faithful – that years of unalloyed loyalty, personal sacrifice and unwavering commitment to progressive ideals, count for little when weighed against the transactional opportunism of eleventh-hour defectors.
Indeed, many committed party members had privately watched events unfold with apprehension, fearing that the APC in Osun stood on the brink of surrendering its structure and future to political fortune seekers and strange bedfellows – individuals remembered by many core stakeholders not for progressive credentials, but for their alleged roles in periods of political hostility and instability, the consequences of which loyal APC members bore heavily during previous electoral cycles.
It is against this backdrop that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and leader of the party in Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, reportedly described KRAD’s emergence as perhaps the finest possible outcome of the primary process. Such validation is rooted not merely in electoral arithmetic, but in a deeper institutional imperative: the preservation of the party’s ideological identity and moral order.
The Anatomy of Loyalty in an Era of Political Expediency
For more than two decades, KRAD has symbolised resilience, discipline and principled engagement within the progressive family, beginning from the legacy political platforms that eventually metamorphosed into the APC. Long before aspiring to elective office, he had established himself as a committed party man, investing his time, resources and political capital in strengthening the progressive movement in Osun State.
Even after seeking the governorship ticket in two electoral cycles within the last decade, KRAD remained resolutely committed to the party, refusing to abandon its ideals despite moments of disappointment and political setbacks.
In a contemporary Nigerian political climate where defections have become normalised as a political survival strategy, his consistency stands out as both rare and invaluable.
KRAD remained steadfast through gruelling internal contests, difficult moments and systemic disappointments that might have pushed lesser politicians into rebellion, bitterness or outright anti-party activities. Whenever internal decisions did not favour his immediate political aspirations, he consistently chose discipline over dissent and perseverance over resentment.
By rewarding this long-standing record of service rather than the allure of opportunistic political migration, the APC leadership successfully averted what could have become an ethical crisis and strategic self-sabotage. KRAD’s candidacy reinforces one of the foundational principles of progressive politics: that loyalty, sacrifice and sustained service should remain the bedrock of party organisation.
Rescuing the Osogbo Electoral Powerhouse
Beyond the ethical arguments lies an equally compelling electoral reality. KRAD’s candidacy has effectively rescued the APC from a looming political setback in Osogbo – arguably the most critical electoral powerhouse in Osun State.
Following controversies surrounding previous APC governorship primaries, a palpable feeling of resentment had begun to grow among many Osogbo indigenes. There was a widespread perception that the ancient city had suffered political marginalisation. Ahead of forthcoming elections, community leaders and influential voting blocs had increasingly insisted on supporting political platforms willing to accord meaningful, high-level representation to sons and daughters of Osogbo.
Before the party strategically zoned its governorship ticket to Osun West, KRAD had been widely acknowledged as one of the strongest governorship aspirants from Osogbo. Consequently, his emergence as the APC senatorial candidate for Osun Central zone has significantly restored a sense of equity, inclusion and strategic balance to the party’s regional equation.
The political reality was perhaps best summarised by an APC chieftain from Boluwaduro Local Government Area, who remarked that before KRAD emerged as the senatorial candidate, the party’s chances of performing strongly in Osogbo in the next election cycle were below 25 per cent, but had risen to above 75 per cent following his emergence. According to the chieftain, KRAD enjoys deep grassroots acceptance in his community, and is deeply loved across party divides adding that “the party needs him more than he needs the party.”
The ‘KRAD 4 AMBO’ Synergy: A Masterstroke in Party Unity
Crucially, KRAD appears fully aware of both the burden of expectations resting on his shoulders and the sophisticated political dynamics at play in Osun State. He is not operating in political isolation.
This became evident during his post-victory address to enthusiastic party supporters who thronged his campaign office following the announcement of the primary results.
Addressing the jubilant crowd, KRAD demonstrated the tactical maturity that has come to define his political trajectory. He thanked supporters for their immense goodwill but reportedly urged restraint in celebrations, reminding them that there was significant political work ahead even before his own election next year. According to him, Osogbo must first deliver AMBO in the forthcoming August election, emphasising that “you cannot love KRAD without loving AMBO.”
Demonstrating immediate strategic foresight, KRAD reportedly announced a comprehensive campaign integration approach, directing that all campaign materials – including caps, shirts, billboards and social media content – should henceforth carry the unified branding of KRAD 4 AMBO
This directive represents a political masterstroke. By consciously linking his immense grassroots popularity in Osogbo and Osun Central zone to the party’s broader gubernatorial objective, KRAD has effectively transformed his senatorial candidacy into a strategic engine for collective electoral success. It ensures that the enthusiasm surrounding his emergence is immediately channelled towards the party’s pressing political priorities.
A Lesson for the Progressive Fold
At a time when Nigerian politics increasingly rewards convenience over conviction, the APC in Osun has made a rare, courageous and necessary statement. It has demonstrated that loyalty still matters, consistency still counts, and that political parties ignore the sacrifices of their faithful at their own peril.
By aligning ethical justice with electoral pragmatism, the APC has not only secured a formidable standard-bearer for Osun Central in the Red Chamber; it has rebuilt trust with a critical constituency, strengthened internal cohesion and rekindled the true spirit of progressive politics in the State of the Virtue.
Tolu Babawale, a political scientist and youth leader, writes from Iba in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State
