APC Faces Internal Revolt In Oyo As Adelabu Camp Rejects Alli’s Candidacy

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday unveiled Senator Sharafadeen Alli as its candidate for the 2027 Oyo State governorship election, with Adesoji Adedeji named as his running mate.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The unveiling ceremony, held in Ibadan, was attended by party leaders, stakeholders, executives, and supporters from across Oyo State.

However, the camp of former Minister of Power and governorship aspirant, Adebayo Adelabu, has questioned the announcement, insisting that only the APC’s national leadership has the authority to officially declare the party’s governorship candidate.

Speaking with journalists, Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, said the camp was still awaiting a formal pronouncement from the party’s national leadership.

“We are still awaiting the national body. If you recall, when the agitation started, the national leadership clearly stated that all stakeholders should remain patient until an official announcement is made,” Awogboro said.

He argued that reports suggesting the process had been concluded were premature, stressing that no official communication had been issued by the APC’s national leadership.

“So, whatever anyone is doing now is merely speculative. We are yet to receive any official communication from the national body,” he added.

Awogboro maintained that regardless of ongoing internal consultations, no aspirant should be regarded as the party’s flagbearer until the decision is ratified by the APC’s national leadership.

According to him, Adelabu respects the supremacy of the party and is prepared to abide by its final decision.

“The party is supreme, and my principal has great respect for the supremacy of the party. If the party decides not to release the results at this stage, that is within its prerogative.

“However, it would be better for the party to release the outcome of the primary, as earlier promised, to further strengthen confidence in the party. Above all, the national body must ensure that the right process is followed,” he said.

Adelabu Camp Questions Alleged Candidate List

Reacting to reports of an alleged list of candidates cleared for national and state legislative elections, Awogboro said he could not verify its authenticity and rejected claims that it reflected the party’s official position.

“I don’t know where the purported list is coming from. Oyo is not the only state in Nigeria. Party affairs must follow the same standard procedure. You cannot have a process that sidelines other aspirants,” he said.

He also cautioned against reconciliation efforts built on what he described as perceived injustice, arguing that fairness and due process should guide the party’s internal processes from the outset.

“If the process is undermined from the beginning and reconciliation is later pursued without carrying all aspirants along, such efforts are unlikely to achieve the desired outcome. You cannot reconcile an injustice that was deliberately created. The right thing is to ensure that justice and due process prevail from the beginning,” he stated.

Awogboro further alleged that some individuals within the party structure had already aligned with certain interests, a situation he said was unhealthy for the APC’s internal democracy.

Despite the controversy, he said Adelabu remained calm and was awaiting the official decision of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).

“He is fine. Nothing has changed. We are all awaiting the National Working Committee to make its official pronouncement,” Awogboro added.