Former Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has publicly dissociated himself from the recent defection of his former aide, Ajiboye Akande, from the APC to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), insisting that Akande’s political activities no longer have any connection with him.
Adelabu made the clarification in a statement issued by his media office in Ibadan on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, following Akande’s participation in the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, on Monday. The event provided the platform for Akande and supporters associated with his political movement to formally join the APM ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former minister stated that Akande was no longer his Personal Assistant and had ceased to maintain any official, political or representational relationship with him. According to Adelabu, their working relationship ended after differences emerged over their respective political alignments, particularly when Akande opted to pursue a political direction different from his.
The development attracted considerable political attention because of Akande’s previous association with Adelabu and his role in organising supporters. Reports on the Ibadan event said Akande led supporters from the APC into the APM, with accounts variously describing the number involved as hundreds or thousands. The event was attended by APM leaders, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, as the party continues preparations for the 2027 elections.
Adelabu, however, was categorical that Akande’s decision should not be interpreted as an indication of his own movement away from the APC. He said he remained a member of the party and had neither defected nor authorised anyone to defect on his behalf, stressing that the political activities of his former aide were his personal decision.
“I remain a member of the APC and have no intention of leaving the party. My disagreement with aspects of the Oyo governorship nomination process is about the process and the need for transparency and legitimacy, and not an excuse to abandon the party,” Adelabu said.
The former minister also addressed his position on the ongoing issues surrounding the APC governorship nomination process in Oyo State. He maintained that his concerns were centred on transparency, documentation and legitimacy in the conduct and declaration of the primary process, rather than an intention to leave the party.
Adelabu further said his continued support for President Bola Tinubu was based on his stated belief in due process, as well as his view that the President emerged through a properly conducted and documented primary process. He therefore called for the results of the Oyo governorship exercise to be properly released and supported by signed documents and other verifiable evidence.
On his own political ambition, Adelabu said his aspiration to govern Oyo State was not a “do-or-die” affair, maintaining that his interest was primarily centred on having an opportunity to serve the people of the state. He also pointed to his continued involvement in private-sector activities, including real estate, hospitality, farming and financial securities, as reasons he said he did not depend on political office for his livelihood.
Meanwhile, Akande had separately stated during the APM event that his decision to leave the APC was independent of Adelabu. According to reports from the event, he said he was mature enough to make his own political decisions and that his movement into the APM should not be interpreted as evidence of a dispute with his former principal.
The latest development adds another dimension to the evolving political realignments in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, with defections, party nominations and competing political structures increasingly shaping the state’s emerging electoral landscape. Adelabu’s statement nevertheless draws a clear distinction between his own position within the APC and the political activities of his former aide, leaving Akande’s APM movement as a separate political development from Adelabu’s stated political position.
