What’s Next for Bayo Adelabu?

Bayo Adelabu resigned as Minister of Power in April 2026. He wanted to run for governor of Oyo State. He had done it and lost before. He was about to lose again. But he did not know because only hindsight is 20/20.

The APC primary on May 22 delivered a landslide. And while Senator Sarafadeen Alli won with 578,143 votes, Adelabu managed 19,193.

Adelabu cried foul immediately, alleging that election officials wrote arbitrary figures and held voting hours before the scheduled time. He said the process was rigged. But several weeks later, he has not said what he will do next.

This is not his first loss. In 2019, he ran for governor as the APC candidate. Seyi Makinde beat him: 515,621 votes to 357,982. Adelabu won only five local governments.

In 2023, he lost the APC primary to Teslim Folarin. He defected to the Accord Party to stay on the ballot. He finished a distant third. President Bola Tinubu later brought him back as Minister of Power.

Now he is out of office and out of the race. Therefore, onlookers across Oyo State are asking, “ What now?

Some say he will stay in the APC, rebuild his structure, and wait for another opportunity. Others say he has defected before and could do it again. After all, Nigerian politics has seen stranger comebacks.

Adelabu has been silent since the defeat. He has not addressed his supporters publicly, nor has he indicated whether he will accept the result or challenge it further. Still, his political brand remains recognisable, with a loyal support base and a name that carries weight in Oyo politics. But while those assets do not disappear after one loss, they do become hard er to deploy.    

Dayo Faduyile