..Says APC primary will be free and fair, begins consultation across Oyo
…Says presidency won’t dictate Oyo APC candidate
Minister of Power, Hon Adebayo Adelabu, has dismissed reports suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is plotting to impose him as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that the party will conduct a transparent primary election.
Speaking in Ibadan while hosting APC ward chairmen, local government executives, and party leaders from Ibadan South East Local Government, Hon Adelabu declared:
He said, “There will be no imposition. The best candidate will emerge through a proper primary.
“Even if the President has a preference, he will never impose anyone or interfere. He’ll advise aspirants to return to their states, work hard, and win the support of the people.”
The minister said it was laughable to imagine the President would be involved in such interference, noting that President Tinubu oversees governance across the 36 states and the FCT and has no time to micromanage state politics.
Hon Adelabu insisted that what defines a progressive party is a credible internal democratic process, adding that no aspirant should expect an easy ride or ‘top-down validation.’
While making his ambition official, the minister pledged readiness for competitive internal elections, adding that unity and reconciliation would follow the primary.
He added: “I’m ready to engage in healthy competition without bitterness. When a winner emerges, there will be compensation and appointments for others, no one goes home empty-handed.”
He described Tinubu as a true democrat who believes in bottom-up democracy and warned against the dangers of political shortcuts.
Recalling his previous governorship attempt, Adelabu said his campaign in 2019 was the most “flamboyant and energised,” and that he secured overwhelming support from party members after some aspirants stepped down mid-primary.
He added that victory in Oyo requires direct engagement with grassroots party members, stating:
The meeting, according to the minister, was the first step in his 2027 consultations, beginning in his home local government. He received full endorsement from Ibadan South East APC leaders who pledged to support his renewed ambition.
“From next week, I will begin a consultation tour of all party leaders across the seven geopolitical zones in Oyo State,” he announced.
In his remarks, Alhaji Mojeed Olaoya, APC chairman for Oyo South Senatorial District, assured that the party will support whoever emerges through a fair process.
He added that the APC has learned bitter lessons from its defeats in 2019 and 2023, promising genuine reconciliation to avoid further internal sabotage.
