By Rasheed Rasheed
In politics, momentum matters. It is built not only by victory but by vision—by decisions that are bold, deliberate, and future-oriented. For the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, that momentum began to build in recent months with various well-groomed hopefuls declaring interest in the party’s 2026 governorship ticket. Then came the political thunderclap: weeks of rumors (now partially substantiated) that Governor Ademola Adeleke was exploring defection to the APC.
At the national level, the APC was navigating its own political recalibrations, selecting a new national chairman in the wake of intra-party realignments. Upon the emergence of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as the new APC National Chairman, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made a telling pronouncement: “More governors are coming into the APC.”
While that declaration made headlines across the nation, Osun State APC had earlier delivered something more profound. A principled moment that will be etched in the state’s political history. The APC in Osun refused to yield to short-term calculations. Despite the allure of a sitting governor crossing over with influence and incumbency power, the Osun APC stood its ground. It resisted pressure. It chose principle over political convenience.
That refusal to admit Adeleke into the party structure even as high-level rumors swirled was no small feat. At a time when several PDP senators and federal lawmakers from Osun were decamping to the APC, including Senator Francis Fadahunsi Senator Ajagunla, Honourable Sanya Omirin and Rep. Oluwole Oke, the state party could have wavered. But it didn’t. It delivered what many view as the first good step; preserving the integrity of the APC’s internal structure and shielding it from opportunistic infiltration.
However, one good step must lead to another.
As the 2026 governorship race draws nearer and as whispers persist that Adeleke has not given up on his defection bid, with Hon. Oluwole Oke recently alluding to this, the APC must act with equal foresight. The next “good step” is to solidify the party’s strategic edge by zoning the 2026 governorship ticket to Osun Central Senatorial District.
This is not just a rotational ritual. it is a matter of justice, political strategy, and long-overdue realignment. Osun Central has consistently demonstrated loyalty to the APC across election cycles, delivering robust returns in difficult contests. Constituencies like Osogbo, Olorunda, and Boripe have functioned as reliable electoral anchors for the party.
Zoning to Osun Central is not an exclusion of others; it is a political calibration grounded in performance, balance, and voter behavior. If APC is to regain Osun, it must do so from its strongest base and Osun Central is precisely that.
And if micro-zoning becomes necessary, the party’s compass should point naturally to Osogbo. As the capital and the political heart of the state, Osogbo has long been a nucleus of party loyalty, organizational strength, and grassroots discipline. The city has never produced a civilian executive governor despite its historic contributions to the state’s politics. That omission can be corrected wisely and honorably in 2026.
Among the names emerging from Osogbo, one figure continues to gain ground among youth blocs, elders, and grassroots organizers alike: Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, SAN popularly known as K-RAD.
K-RAD brings more than aspiration, he brings preparedness. A respected legal mind with a pan-state appeal, his credentials are matched by his record of statewide engagement. Unlike many political actors, he carries no factional baggage. He has never held an executive office, making him a fresh slate in a political climate that increasingly punishes incumbents for underperformance.
His manifesto is already a living document focusing on economic revitalization, youth empowerment, judicial reform, and public accountability. His style combines technocratic insight with relatable humility, positioning him as a candidate who can unite, not divide.
In a time when APC must manage internal harmony while projecting strength outward, K-RAD stands as a bridge between the elders and the young, between the grassroots and the elite, between history and what’s next.
If APC wants to consolidate the momentum sparked by its principled stand against Adeleke’s defection, it must continue that trajectory with clarity. Zoning the ticket to Osun Central, specifically Osogbo and presenting a candidate of K-RAD’s stature is not just a strategy, it is an opportunity to win back Osun with credibility, competence, and clean politics.
The party has already taken one good step. The time has come to take another.