Senior Advocate of Nigeria and political activist, Kunle Adegoke, has called on Nigerian voters to scrutinise the records, character and antecedents of political candidates before deciding who to support at the polls in the 2027 elections.
Adegoke said voters should not be carried away by campaign promises, stressing that a candidate’s past conduct and record of service often provide a better indication of their capacity and commitment to public office.
The SAN made the remarks on Thursday while appearing on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.
He was responding to concerns from callers who questioned why some politicians make numerous promises during election campaigns but allegedly fail to fulfil them after securing political office.
Adegoke said voters must accept part of the responsibility for poor leadership by properly investigating the antecedents of candidates before voting for them.
“It is you people that have been making mistakes. What is the antecedent of the people that have been soft-soaping you, that have been soft-talking you? What is their antecedent?” he said.
According to him, voters should assess what candidates have done before seeking elective office instead of relying exclusively on campaign rhetoric.
He maintained that examining a candidate’s track record could give the electorate a clearer picture of the person’s character, competence and commitment to public service.
Legal Practice, Political Allegiance
Adegoke also addressed concerns over his previous legal representation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and whether the professional relationship could affect his credibility as a political candidate.
He explained that lawyers have a professional obligation to represent clients who engage their services, insisting that providing legal representation to a political party should not automatically be interpreted as endorsing its political positions.
“I’m a lawyer by profession. It is whoever engages me that I will represent,” he said.
The SAN questioned whether the same argument would be applied to lawyers who had previously represented the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or other political interests before becoming politically active.
He stressed that a lawyer’s professional duties should be separated from personal political affiliations when assessing the individual’s public activities.
“We must develop society from the conscious appreciation of issues and facts,” Adegoke said.
Accord-APC Relationship
Speaking on the relationship between the Accord Party and the APC, particularly the understanding between the two parties at the presidential level, Adegoke said the arrangement, to his knowledge, was restricted to the presidential election.
“The purpose of the accord between Accord Party and our party, as far as the presidential election is concerned, I will not be mischievous to say what they did not say, is limited to the presidential election,” he said.
He argued that such an arrangement should not necessarily dictate the choices voters make in governorship, senatorial or other elections conducted during the same electoral cycle.
According to him, voters are not required to support the same political party across all elective positions.
Adegoke noted that the wider electorate was far larger than the membership of individual political parties and could therefore make independent decisions based on candidates and issues.
“It is not members of Accord alone that elected Governor Adeleke. It is people, the electorate generally. The membership of Accord, the membership of APC, combined together is not up to one-tenth of the general populace,” he said.
Why I Want to Represent Osun Central
Adegoke said his ambition to represent Osun Central Senatorial District in the Senate was motivated by his concerns about leadership and development.
“My intervention is based on leadership and I’ve been an activist to address developmental needs,” he said.
He listed effective representation, legislative oversight, scrutiny of government budgets and constituency development among his priorities if elected.
He explained that the National Assembly’s oversight responsibility goes beyond sanctioning members of the executive who violate the law, noting that lawmakers must also monitor the implementation of government programmes and ensure that public funds are properly utilised.
“These are part of the supervisory functions that I am going to ensure that we carry out. It is not always when we want to probably discipline somebody in the executive who has committed an offence and what have you alone, that the National Assembly will have to come in,” he said.
Constituency Projects Must Reflect Local Needs
On constituency projects, Adegoke said lawmakers should ensure that government interventions address the actual needs of the communities they represent rather than being influenced by political considerations.
“When it comes to constituency projects, yes, I mean, it is not my father’s money. It is government money that they are appropriating,” he said.
He pledged that, if elected, he would work to attract constituency projects to each of the 10 local government areas that make up Osun Central Senatorial District.
“I want to develop Osun Central. I want to use Osun Central as a template that will show what I would have done were I to be in the executive,” he said.
Adegoke said the projects would be guided by assessments of the specific needs of each local government, pointing out that some communities might require the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure rather than the construction of new facilities.
“I will use my legislative position to now ensure that constituency projects will be constructed in all the 10 local governments and will take into consideration the needs of that particular local government,” he said.
‘I Cannot Work in Isolation’
The SAN further stressed that effective representation would require cooperation with fellow lawmakers and other political actors.
He said elected officials should approach public office with humility, noting that political representatives must recognise that they are in government to serve the people.
Adegoke also expressed his willingness to work with political opponents where such cooperation would contribute to the development of society.
“We are supposed to work together to ensure the success of our society. I will reach out to my opponents to see how we can better the lot of our society. I’m not going to do it in isolation, so long as they are willing to cooperate with me,” he said.
He maintained that the performance of elected representatives should ultimately be measured by their ability to provide effective oversight, respond to the needs of their constituents and work across political divides to promote development.
