Politics

The Osun APC Earthquake: “Osogbo Agenda” Crashes “West L’ọkan” Legacy

Published by Akinwale Fakinlede on October 19th, 2025.

At a recent consultation event, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and a leading APC aspirant, assured Osogbo people that his administration would never neglect the city as, he claimed, the current PDP government has done.
But the reception was cool. The people of Osogbo, patient but firm, made it clear that they no longer wanted promises — they wanted the top job.
“Osogbo has always stood by the APC,” a local leader declared. “We have supported others. Now, it is our turn, and we will not compromise this time.”
*K-RAD and the Osogbo Factor*
Among those embodying this new push is Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (SAN) — popularly called KRAD — a respected legal luminary and lifelong APC loyalist from Osogbo. Within party circles, he is regarded as one of the most credible, articulate, and untainted aspirants in the race.
Party stakeholders believe Osogbo has both the numbers and the merit to justify its claim. “With KRAD, we can reclaim the heart of Osogbo and unify the APC again,” one senior party strategist said privately.
Still, the APC’s internal arithmetic is complicated. Other aspirants — including Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Benedict Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, and Akin Ogunbiyi — are also positioning for the ticket as the party prepares for its primaries between November 24 and December 15, 2025.

*The Edenization of Power*
While APC debates zoning, Governor Ademola Adeleke is changing Osun’s physical and political landscape — beginning with his hometown, Ede.
Driving through Ede today, one meets new dual carriageways, sprawling boulevards, and shining streetlights. To many residents, it is welcome progress; to others, it is political symbolism cast in concrete. The governor’s critics now speak of “Edenization” — the concentration of appointments, contracts, and influence in one town.
A lecturer at the Osun State University whispered that out of 150 recent appointments at the University of Ilesa, more than 100 reportedly went to Ede indigenes. Civil servants allege that over 30% of the state’s permanent secretaries also hail from Ede.
“Everything has been moved to Ede,” one insider lamented. “Even Executive Council meetings sometimes hold at the Governor’s country home.”
The words “Edenization” and “Adelekenization” now dominate Osun’s political vocabulary — shorthand for a family’s deepening control of state machinery.
*The Osogbo Awakening*
If Ede has gained influence, Osogbo has found its voice. The once-quiet capital has turned restless, demanding inclusion and equity. From the palace to the markets, from professional groups to youth circles, the refrain is unmistakable:

*“Osogbo l’ọkan — It’s Osogbo’s turn.”*
The sentiment cuts across party lines. Even some PDP elders privately admit the argument is emotionally powerful. Osogbo has been the headquarters, not the beneficiary. The people now see the 2026 election as both a referendum on fairness and a correction of history.

*Omisore, the Ooni, and the Ife Reawakening*
The political chessboard extends beyond Ede and Osogbo. In Ile-Ife, the ancient cradle of Yoruba civilisation, a quiet reawakening is underway. Reports of the Ooni of Ife’s dismay over Ede’s development surge have re-energised calls for an Ife comeback.
At the centre is Otunba Iyiola Omisore, the veteran politician and former senator, who many say is weighing a return. During a recent APC meeting in Osogbo, Omisore told party leaders bluntly:
“The governorship is yours to lose. If you waste it, I’m ready.”
That comment, insiders say, rippled through the capital — reigniting rival ambitions and forcing the APC to confront its identity crisis head-on.

*APC at the Crossroads*
The stakes for APC could not be higher. Choosing the wrong candidate, analysts warn, may hand Governor Adeleke an easy second term — and in the process, weaken President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election base in the Southwest.
Two consecutive defeats in Osun would not only demoralise the party but also dent the myth of Tinubu’s invincibility beyond Lagos. Insiders argue that a united ticket around Kunle Rasheed Adegoke could restore balance and energise the grassroots. Ignoring Osogbo, they caution, would be political suicide.
*Tinubu’s Test*
President Tinubu built his legacy on strategic foresight — the ability to see tomorrow before others do. Osun is now the testing ground for that reputation. Can he read the political mood correctly, or will loyalty to old alliances cloud his judgment?
The question is not merely about who wins Osun; it is about who defines the future of Southwest politics.

*The Final Word*
Politics rewards clarity, not comfort. In Osun today, the path to victory is illuminated as brightly as Ede’s new streetlights. The winds from Ede blow strong, but the rumble from Osogbo is louder still.

If the APC ignores that rumble, it will not just lose an election — it may lose the soul of the Southwest.

* Olalere Oladitan is a poultry farmer and political analyst. He writes from Ilobu.*

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