IN Osun State today, history knocks once more, not with a gentle tap, but with a resounding urgency that echoes through every ward, village, and city. The air is thick with anticipation; the drums of politics are rolling again. But this is no ordinary season, it is a season that tests the soul of leadership and the conscience of a people. The time for idle promises is past. This is a moment that demands courage to choose rightly, conviction to stand firmly, and above all, wisdom to see beyond the noise. For beneath the banners and the cheers lies a choice far greater than personalities, a choice that will determine whether Osun rises or remains caught in the web of recycled mediocrity. The All Progressives Congress (APC) now stands at a historic crossroads. Before, it is not merely the task of picking a flag bearer, it is the sacred duty of choosing the very soul and destiny of its future. What happens next will either rekindle the people’s faith or deepen their disillusionment. This is not just another political contest. It is Osun’s date with destiny, and destiny, as always, will only favour those wise enough to listen when history knocks.
The Agba Osun, the revered elders of the progressive family, have begun to move, quietly but decisively. Their steps are measured, their voices calm, yet their influence is profound. For they know, as the Yoruba wisely put it, ‘Ohun tí àgbà rí l’?`bá ona, tó ?m?de bá gun igi gíga, kò lè rí.’ (What the elder sees while sitting, even if a child climbs the tallest tree, he cannot see it). In a time of growing political noise and reckless ambition, the elders of the Osun APC have re-emerged as moral sentinels. They are not mere spectators; they are the guardians of the party’s conscience and the interpreters of its values. ‘Agbà ò sí nílú, ìlú bajé; bàálé ilé kú, ilé dàhòró. When there are no elders in the town, the town falls apart; when the head of a household dies, the home becomes desolate. Among them are Baba Sola Akinwunmi, the quiet strategist whose sense of balance has guided many through turbulent storms; Baba Shuaib Oyedokun, whose wisdom has become a living archive of Osun’s political evolution; Prof. Oladipo, the cerebral elder whose grasp of governance fuses scholarship with patriotism; Baba Bola Ajao, a pillar of moderation and experience; Comrade Poju Odusola, the activist-elder whose sense of justice remains unbending;
Pa Ayo Afolabi, the historian of the progressive movement whose words carry the weight of decades; Pa Kunle Odeyemi, the conscience of old progressivism and a man of unwavering principle; Mr. Kamoru Olabisi Alao, the pragmatic organiser who understands the pulse of the grassroots; TPL Omolaoye, the planner and policy thinker with an eye for Osun’s spatial and structural destiny; Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, a symbol of steady leadership and party discipline; and, towering above them all, Baba Bisi Akande, the grand patriarch of Osun progressivism; a man whose simplicity conceals the sharpness of a statesman’s intellect. Not far from these elders stands Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, immediate past governor and now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, a man who, though active in service, remains a bridge between generations, representing both continuity and the living conscience of Osun’s progressive family.
These men have seen it all, the victories, the betrayals, the seasons of harvest and famine in politics. They have learned, through time and trial, that power without wisdom breeds chaos, and ambition without restraint destroys the very foundation it seeks to build.
Guardians of balance and order
Their recent call to aspirants, urging restraint, peace, and respect for party unity, is not an empty sermon but a warning carved from experience. They know that a divided APC is a defeated APC, and that political maturity must precede political victory. In their collective wisdom lies Osun’s moral insurance policy. They have seen young politicians come and go, promising heaven but delivering nothing beyond personal gain. They have seen how internal strife, if left unchecked, turns political families into rival camps. Hence, their intervention is both timely and prophetic. The elders have defined the coming APC primaries not as a battlefield but as a marketplace of ideas; a contest of vision, competence, and integrity. Here, character must outweigh charisma, and content must outshine connection. For Osun does not need another caretaker of rhetoric; it needs a leader of results.
To be sure, the APC boasts a wealth of aspirants, each with unique strengths: Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, the corporate thinker who blends enterprise with empathy; Babajide Omoworare, the articulate and experienced lawmaker; Babatunde Oralusi, the youthful innovator with energy and ideas; Benedict Alabi, the loyal and steady hand of the old guard; Bola Oyebamiji, the fiscal technocrat who understands financial prudence; Dideolu Falobi positions himself as a technocrat rather than a life-long politician, offering a contrast to career politicians in the race; Dotun Babayemi, the princely politician with charisma and compassion; Iyiola Omisore, the battle-tested and rescue missioner whose name rings through Osun’s political history. Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (K-Rad) is a brilliant lawyer and senior advocate, reform-minded progressive, whose politics is defined by integrity, intellect, and an unwavering passion for good governance; Mudashiru Hussein, the old progressive with roots in grassroots politics; Peter Babalola, the disciplined bureaucrat who understands the workings of politics; Raifu Durodoye, the academic reformer who believes in knowledge of politics. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru is a lawyer-politician who is noted for his role in party administration, grassroots engagement, and strengthening internal democracy.
It is indeed a rich political field, a constellation of competence, ambition, and oratory fireworks. Yet, as our wise elders often caution, ‘kí iraw? tó tàn kún ?`run, kò túm?` sí pé gbogbo w?n ló m?´ ?`nà ìtòsí ìlà.’ Not every bright star knows the way to dawn. The task before the party, therefore, is not merely to pick who can shout the loudest or dance the longest, but who can both win and govern with sense, strength, and sincerity. Politics, after all, is not a talking competition; it is a leadership examination and the electorates will soon mark the scripts.
These aspirants have crisscrossed Osun from Iwo to Ifetedo, from Ila to Ilesa, greeting leaders, visiting palaces, shaking hands till the elbows protested, and smiling so much that even their posters started smiling back. They all promise development, progress, jobs, and growth beautiful words that can fill the sky like harmattan dust. But Osun people are wiser now. They are not looking for who can speak the Queen’s English or promise heaven’s gate; they are looking for something deeper, a doer, not just a dreamer; a builder, not a rhetorician. Someone who can fix the leaking roof, not just describe the rainfall.
One name echoes with intellectual clarity and purposeful energy: Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (K-Rad). A lawyer of repute and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, K-Rad stands as a symbol of reformist courage. Unlike the crowd that waits for ‘manna from Abuja’, he speaks of self-reliance and creative financing. While others rehearse promises, he designs pathways. His manifesto, the only available document at the moment, first unveiled in 2018 and now re-engineered for today’s economic realities, demonstrates not only what he wants to do, but how he will do it. He speaks of revenue generation through innovation, industrial reawakening, youth empowerment, prudent fiscal management, tourism and unprecedented agricultural revolution. In a state often limited by dependence on federal allocation, his message is both daring and refreshing: Osun can rise by the strength of her own ingenuity. What Osun needs now is not merely a governor, but a unifier, one who can reconcile factions, rebuild trust, and restore faith in government. The next leader must be one whose ambition is not stained by the burden of broken trust or the arrogance of entitlement. The Agba Osun understands this truth deeply: a divided house cannot stand, and a house without a moral roof will not survive the storm. Their mission, therefore, is not just to select a candidate, but to preserve the ideals of progressivism: unity, service, and sacrifice.
*When Wisdom Meets Vision*
The coming days will test the integrity of the APC’s internal democracy and the sincerity of its commitment to renewal. Will the voice of wisdom prevail over the noise of ambition? Will the elders’ counsel shape the party’s destiny? History beckons. The elders have spoken, softly but firmly, reminding all that political maturity is not measured by age but by the ability to subordinate self to service.
Osun’s politics has matured, or at least, it ought to have by now. The season of slogans, that once made every street corner sound like a campaign jingle, should be behind us. West Lókàn! East Lókàn! Nibo Lókàn!; all these choruses have danced their final steps like an overplayed tune at a village festival. Even the West Lokan slogan itself seems to be gasping for breath, tired of hearing its own echoes bouncing off the walls of political gatherings. But now, one might ask: What is the place of Best Lókàn in all these? Ah! That one is not a slogan; it’s a standard. It is not about entitlement, but about excellence. Because if Osun must truly rise beyond noise and nostalgia, it must seek the best hand, the finest mind, and the most prepared heart to steer her forward.
So, while others shout It’s my turn, the people whisper wisely: Let the best govern.
For, as one elder wryly remarked, ‘Bàálé kú, ó ní Ìwó lókan, ?é ikú tó kú lòkan ?` ni, àbí oyè tó fi síl?`?’ When the head of the house dies, and a relative says, It is his turn, we must ask: is it the death that is his turn, or the responsibility the man left behind?
Leadership is not inheritance; it is stewardship. Osun’s destiny cannot be reduced to a turn-by-turn banquet of ambition. The task before the state now is beyond rotation, it is about restoration.
When the dust of the primaries finally settles, Osun must rise behind a candidate who carries not just credentials, but conviction, one with vision in his eyes, courage in his steps, and character in his soul. Someone who can lead with clean hands, a steady heart, and a mind sharpened by purpose.
Because, in the end, Osun does not need just another governor; Osun deserves the best governor.
And when wisdom sits in council, as it surely will among our elders and delegates, let it choose not by sentiment or slogan, but by substance.
For only the best should lead a people so richly endowed, yet so often betrayed by mediocrity.
And in my candid opinion, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (KRad) embodies that standard, the bridge between integrity and intellect, courage and compassion. He represents not just competence, but the assured future Osun truly deserves.