The immediate past Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has dismissed reports that he has withdrawn from the 2027 governorship race.
Adelabu, through his aide, Femi Awogboro, said he remained in the contest and had not accepted what he described as injustice arising from the recently concluded APC governorship primary election in the state.
The clarification followed reports circulating in some media platforms that the former minister had abandoned his ambition after the party’s primary.
But Adelabu’s camp said the reports were a wrong interpretation of his recent statement in which he asked his supporters to remain calm and avoid confrontation while awaiting action from the national leadership of the APC.
In a statement on the matter, Awogboro said Adelabu had “neither withdrawn from the governorship race nor conceded the injustice arising from the recently concluded gubernatorial primary process in the state.”
He described the reports of the alleged withdrawal as “mischievous and misleading,” saying Adelabu had never announced or suggested that he was giving up his ambition.
“Our attention has been drawn to a mischievous and misleading interpretation by some sections of the media of the recent press statement issued by Chief Adebayo Adelabu, suggesting that he has withdrawn from the race for the governorship of Oyo State,” Awogboro said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, what the statement clearly conveyed was his appeal to his loyalists, supporters and other concerned party members to remain calm, peaceful and dignified, and to refrain from abusive, aggressive or confrontational agitation while awaiting appropriate steps from the national leadership of the party to address the errors, unfairness and injustice associated with aspects of the primary process.”
Adelabu’s position comes amid disagreements among some APC governorship aspirants over the conduct and outcome of the party’s primary in Oyo State.
The former minister’s camp has maintained that there were issues with the process which should be addressed by the national leadership of the party.
Rather than mobilising his supporters for street protests or other forms of confrontation, Adelabu has chosen to ask them to remain peaceful while the party considers the complaints raised by aggrieved aspirants.
According to Awogboro, the decision should not be interpreted as surrender or acceptance of the outcome of the primary.
He said Adelabu’s call for restraint was based on his commitment to the unity and stability of the APC.
“Chief Adelabu’s decision to counsel restraint is borne out of his commitment to the unity, stability and progress of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It should therefore not be misconstrued as weakness, surrender, withdrawal or acceptance of what he and his supporters consider an unjust outcome,” he said.
The aide further said Adelabu had been encouraged by the reported acknowledgement by the APC National Chairman that there were errors and injustices in some aspects of the primary process in Oyo State.
He said such an acknowledgement had raised hopes among the aggrieved aspirants and their supporters that the party’s national leadership would take steps to address the concerns.
“Indeed, he has taken encouragement from the open acknowledgement by the National Chairman of the party that there were errors and injustices in certain aspects of the primary election process in Oyo State,” Awogboro said.
He added that it was therefore reasonable to expect the national leadership to address the complaints and work towards reconciliation among the aspirants, their supporters and other stakeholders.
The APC has not only been dealing with the challenge of selecting candidates for the 2027 elections, but also with the task of managing disagreements that often follow party primaries.
Governorship primaries are usually keenly contested, particularly in states where several aspirants believe they have strong chances of winning the general election. Disagreements over delegates, procedures, voting and the declaration of results can lead to protests, legal challenges and defections if they are not properly handled.
In Oyo State, the outcome of the APC primary has therefore become an important issue for the party as it prepares for the 2027 governorship election.
Adelabu is a familiar figure in Oyo State politics. He contested the governorship election in the state in 2019 on the platform of the APC but lost to the incumbent governor at the time, Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He later served as Minister of Power under President Bola Tinubu before leaving the position.
His return to the APC governorship contest has consequently attracted considerable attention within the party, particularly among members hoping to reclaim the Oyo State Government House for the APC.
The party will have to manage the disagreements surrounding its primary if it is to present a united front ahead of the 2027 election.
Awogboro said Adelabu and his supporters remained hopeful that the national leadership would do what was right.
“As loyalists and supporters of Chief Adebayo Adelabu, we remain hopeful and resolute. We have confidence in God and in the wisdom of the national leadership of our great party to do what is right, just and honourable in the overall interest of the APC,” he said.
He also appealed to media organisations and other platforms that had published reports claiming that Adelabu had withdrawn from the race to retract, correct or clarify the reports.
According to him, Adelabu’s decision to remain calm while giving the party leadership time to resolve the dispute should not be presented as an indication that he had abandoned his ambition.
“The decision to remain calm and allow the party’s leadership the opportunity to address genuine concerns must not be deliberately or carelessly misrepresented as withdrawal from the contest,” he said.
Awogboro explained that Adelabu had deliberately chosen restraint despite what his camp considered provocation and injustice.
He quoted the Yoruba saying, “Ọmọ Ọba kì í jagun bí ẹrú,” meaning that a prince does not fight like a slave, to explain the former minister’s approach to the dispute.
He said Adelabu had consistently reminded his supporters that their conduct must reflect dignity and discipline, even when they felt provoked.
The aide said the camp had therefore decided against aggressive agitation or confrontation while keeping faith with the party’s leadership.
“This approach is not only in the best interest of justice and reconciliation; it is also essential to restoring confidence, reducing tension within the party and strengthening the unity and cohesion required for the APC to secure a resounding and overwhelming victory in Oyo State in the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The latest clarification means that Adelabu’s political future in the APC governorship race remains open, with his camp waiting for the national leadership to address the complaints arising from the primary.
For now, his supporters have been asked to maintain peace while the party seeks a way to resolve the dispute and prevent the disagreement from weakening its preparations for the 2027 elections.