Former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu announced on Tuesday that he would like to run for governor of Oyo State in 2027 on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, declaring the imposition of a concensus candidate null.
Several party leaders, supporters, religious organizations, and professional associations attended Mr. Adelabu’s formal announcement, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
Proir to his declaration, six APC candidates in Oyo State, including former deputy governor Rauf Olaniyan, Adewale Kareem, Musbau Asanike, Akeem Agbaje, Oyedele Alao, and Ololade Bakare, rejected the alleged imposition of candidates prior to the primaries.
ENigeria Newspaper recalled that on May 1, some APC leaders endorsed Sharafadeen Alli, a senator from Oyo South, as the party’s consensus candidate. It was there that a powerful chieftain of the party and former senator, Adeseun claimed that President Bola Tinubu had endorsed Alli’s candidacy.
Several party leaders, supporters, religious organizations, and professional associations attended Mr. Adelabu’s formal announcement, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
The candidates claimed that they called the conference to talk about the party’s future and consider the “pains” it had endured, especially in the most recent election, which it lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Let it be known: whoever emerges as our flagbearer for the 2027 governorship election shall receive our full, collective, and heartfelt support,” the communique reads.
“But we declare with one voice that such a candidate must not be imposed upon us. Imposition is a betrayal of democracy, and we reject it totally, completely, and without compromise. The process must be transparent, free, fair, and clean; worthy of a party that claims to stand for the people. Anything less is an insult to the sacrifices of our members who have bled for this party,” it added.
The aspirants expressed displeasure over “how money and material inducement are sometimes paraded as tools to hijack the will of the people”.
Reiterating the standpoints from the meeting of aspirants, Adelabu, in his speech yesterday during his declaration planned to reposition Oyo state in its politics and governance in order to make it a ‘people-centred governance.’
“Today is not just another political gathering. Today is a defining moment. Today is a day of renewed hope. Today is a day of purpose. Today is a day when we gather not merely to make a declaration, but to begin a movement to restore, rebuild, reposition, and reclaim Oyo State for genuine progress, prosperity and people-centered governance,” Mr Adelabu said.
“I stand before you today with humility, gratitude to Almighty God, and a profound sense of duty to formally declare my intention to contest for the Office of the Governor of Oyo State in the 2027 general elections under the banner of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I am contesting because I believe that for a better Oyo State, capacity matters, competence matters, character matters, compassion matters and courage matters,” he added.
The APC governorship primaries are scheduled to hold on May 21, 2026.
