I Declined Tinubu’s Offer To Organise Oyo APC — Makinde
•By OYENIYI KAZEEM
IBADAN – OYO State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has reiterated his firm commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disclosing that he recently turned down a request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assist in reorganising the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a media chat in Ibadan, Makinde said the President Tinubu approached him with a proposal to “organise the APC in Oyo State,” but he declined, stressing that he belongs to the opposition PDP and would not work to strengthen a rival political party.
According to the governor, his refusal was based not only on party loyalty but also on concerns about leadership capacity within the Oyo APC, particularly that of the Minister of Power and APC chieftain, Chief Adebayo (Bayo) Adelabu.
“The president wants me to organise APC in Oyo State, but I told him I can’t. I told him I would never help him because I’m of the PDP. I also told him that Bayo Adelabu doesn’t have the capacity to organise APC in Oyo State,” Makinde said.
The governor’s remarks have drawn fresh attention to growing political tensions between the ruling PDP in Oyo State and the opposition APC, as both parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makinde’s stance highlights his continued loyalty to the PDP at a time when defections and political realignments have unsettled party structures across the country.
He has repeatedly insisted that he remains committed to the party, rejecting overtures to defect or align with rival political blocs.
Chief Adelabu, Nigeria’s Minister of Power and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, remains a key figure in Oyo APC politics. He was the party’s governorship candidate in the 2019 election and later contested the 2023 governorship poll under the Accord Party before returning to the APC following his appointment as minister.
In recent months, Adelabu has intensified efforts to mobilise and reconcile APC stakeholders across Oyo State, holding consultations aimed at strengthening party unity and building a cohesive structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He has also publicly declared his intention to contest the Oyo State governorship in 2027 as part of the APC’s plan to reclaim the state from the PDP.
However, despite these efforts, some APC grassroots members and internal critics have questioned Adelabu’s leadership style and organisational effectiveness. They have cited recent electoral setbacks, including the Ibadan North bye-election, as evidence of weaknesses in the party’s structure and decision-making processes.
Governor Makinde, on his part, has remained vocal about consolidating the PDP’s hold on Oyo State and resisting political coalitions or strategic alliances that, in his view, weaken party identity.