Fresh calls have emerged for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State to deepen its reconciliation efforts and secure the support of former Minister of Power, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, following the emergence of Senator Sarafadeen Alli as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
The call follows renewed discussions among APC stakeholders over how the party can unite its members and present a cohesive campaign ahead of the governorship election.
Alli emerged from the APC governorship primary in May 2026, defeating Adelabu and other aspirants. Reports from the primary put Alli's score at 578,143 votes, compared with 19,193 votes for Adelabu. The process, however, generated controversy, with Adelabu and other aspirants raising concerns about aspects of the exercise.
Adelabu subsequently challenged aspects of the process and questioned the status of the outcome, but in August announced that he would not pursue an internal appeal or legal action over the primary.
In his statement, Adelabu said his decision was based on the need to preserve peace, party stability and cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections. He also called on the APC leadership to undertake a comprehensive reconciliation process and address grievances arising from the primary.
The former minister said the decision not to challenge the outcome was not due to a lack of evidence or conviction, adding that the party needed to rebuild confidence among members who felt their efforts and preferences had been disregarded.
He also said the APC national chairman had acknowledged errors, unfairness and injustice associated with aspects of the primary process, according to his statement.
Against this background, some party stakeholders and supporters have argued that Adelabu's political influence should not be overlooked as the party moves into the campaign season.
The argument is that reconciliation between Adelabu and Alli, as well as with other aggrieved aspirants, could help reduce internal divisions and improve coordination at the grassroots.
The APC has already begun reconciliation efforts in the state. In July, the party formally unveiled Alli as its governorship candidate and presented Adesoji Adedeji as his running mate, while party leaders called on aggrieved members to work together.
More recently, some aggrieved APC House of Assembly aspirants in Oyo reportedly reconciled with the party and pledged support for President Bola Tinubu and Alli ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development suggests that reconciliation has become an important part of the APC's strategy as it prepares for the governorship contest.
Adelabu, who previously contested the Oyo governorship election in 2019 and again in 2023 under the Accord Party, resigned as Minister of Power in April 2026 before pursuing his 2027 governorship ambition.
After the APC primary, he maintained that his ambition was not a do-or-die affair and said he had chosen party stability over prolonged litigation.
He nevertheless stressed that the grievances surrounding the primary should not simply be dismissed and urged the party leadership to take concrete steps to restore members' confidence.
With Alli now officially presented by the APC as its candidate, the question facing the party is how effectively it can bring together supporters of the various aspirants and prevent internal disagreements from affecting its campaign.
For now, claims that Adelabu is deliberately working against Alli remain political speculation and have not been established by evidence. Adelabu's publicly documented position is that he wants the APC to address the grievances surrounding the primary and preserve party unity.
As the 2027 election approaches, the ability of the Oyo APC leadership to reconcile its major blocs and maintain grassroots cohesion is likely to remain a significant issue for the party's campaign.
Comments
Post a Comment