Adelabu Loses as Oyo APC Unveils Alli as Guber Candidate, Adesoji Adedeji His Deputy 

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Oyo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, unveiled the Ekarun Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Sharafadeen Alli, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 general election, effectively shutting down the ambition of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.

The party also unveiled Mr. Adesoji Adedeji as Alli’s running mate.

The presentation of nomination forms to the duo came more than a month after APC held its governorship primary election in the state, with Adelabu as one of the aspirants.

The Oyo APC later dismissed as fake a governorship primary election result circulating on social media and some news platforms. It stated that no official result had been released at the state level, and that only the APC national secretariat was authorised to announce the final outcome after due collation and verification.

Deputy National Auditor of APC, Hon. Gbenga Olayemi, at the unveiling, urged all APC members in Oyo State to support the party and its candidates in elections.

Olayemi said the party members’ acceptance of the candidates would make the journey to Oyo State Government House in 2027 a collective effort.

He stated, while presenting the form, “On behalf of the leadership of our great party, I hereby officially present to Senator Sharafadeen Alli the nomination form from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s authentic candidate in 2027.”

Alli, who is the current senator for Oyo South Senatorial District, in his acceptance speech, announced the nomination of Adedeji, from the Ogbomoso area of Oyo State, as his running mate in the forthcoming election.

He described his victory at the primary election as victory for unity, perseverance, democracy, enduring peace, and prosperity in Oyo State.

The APC governorship candidate said his victory also belonged to every party member who believed in the ideals of progressive politics.

The APC chairman in the state, Otunba Moses Adeyemo, in his remarks, said the time had come to move from being an opposition party, as it had been for about eight years, to a ruling party.