Fresh controversy has erupted within the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, following claims by former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, that the number of registered party members in the state is far below the votes allegedly recorded in the party’s governorship primary election.
Adelabu, who recently resigned from his position as Minister of Power to contest the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State, challenged reports that Senator Sharafadeen Alli polled over 500,000 votes to emerge as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The former minister described the figure as false and misleading, insisting that the total number of registered APC members across Oyo State is not up to 500,000.
Adelabu made the remarks on Friday in a statement issued by his media aide, Comrade Femi Awogboro, shortly after the conclusion of the controversial primary election.
The APC chieftain maintained that available party records showed that registered members of the party in Oyo State stood at about 153,640.
According to him, it was therefore impossible for any aspirant to secure over 500,000 votes in the exercise.
The dispute has further heightened tension within the ruling party in the state, with supporters of different aspirants trading accusations over the conduct and credibility of the primary.
Adelabu, who has openly rejected the outcome of the exercise, alleged that the election process was manipulated in favour of Senator Alli.
Although the APC leadership in the state had announced Alli as the winner of the primary, Adelabu insisted that members should wait for what he described as the “official declaration” of the authentic results.
“The total number of registered APC members in Oyo State is 153,640 and not 500,000 as being circulated in some quarters,” the statement said.
The statement also warned officials handling the collation of results against tampering with figures or allowing themselves to be influenced by political interests.
“Those in charge of the results need to be careful and not to be used by anyone to truncate or alter the results because it is already clear to us from what we are collating from each ward,” the statement added.
Adelabu further claimed that the turnout and reports from polling centres across the state showed that he enjoyed strong grassroots support among party members.
The former minister is one of the leading political figures in Oyo State and has remained influential within the APC since contesting the governorship election in 2019 under the party’s platform.
Although he lost the 2019 governorship election to Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Adelabu has continued to maintain a strong political structure in many parts of the state.
His appointment as Minister of Power by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu further boosted his political profile before he stepped down to pursue his governorship ambition.
The latest disagreement over the APC governorship primary has once again exposed deep divisions within the party in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In recent years, internal disputes arising from party primaries have weakened several political parties across Nigeria, with many aggrieved members either defecting to rival parties or challenging results in court.
Some APC members in Oyo State have already called on the national leadership of the party to intervene and ensure transparency in the handling of the primary election dispute.
Supporters of Senator Alli, however, have dismissed Adelabu’s claims, insisting that the primary process was conducted fairly and in line with party guidelines.
They argued that the large figures being mentioned may have reflected total accredited votes recorded during the exercise and not necessarily the total number of formally registered party members.
As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State APC leadership had yet to officially respond to Adelabu’s allegations.
The development has nevertheless generated widespread reactions among party faithful and political stakeholders across the state, with many closely watching how the APC leadership will handle the growing crisis.
For now, uncertainty continues to surround the controversial primary as both camps remain firm in their positions, raising fears of a prolonged internal battle within the Oyo APC.