How Tinubu’s Minister, Adelabu Orchestrated APC’s Loss In Ibadan North Bye-Election – Group
A group within the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ‘Concerned Leaders’, has attributed the poor outing of the party during Saturday’s bye-election in Ibadan North Federal Constituency to the imposition of a candidate and poor decision.
The group made this declaration via a statement signed by its Chairman, Tejumola Adisa, on Sunday.
It would be recalled that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Falojimi Oyekunle, won the election, defeating APC’s Adewale Olatunji, who also lost his polling unit to the PDP candidate.
The group alleged that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, imposed Olatunji on other candidates while majority of the APC members were not happy.
The group noted that the imposition of the candidate and poor decision made by the Minister made the people to reject the APC candidate.
Adisa, who spoke on behalf of the group, also alleged that Adelabu gave the three major appointments allocated to the state to only members of the Accord party, the party where he contested the gubernatorial election in 2023 at the detriment of other members of the APC.
He said the Minister has caused a lot of damage to the party and that the Minister will cause more damage if he is not removed from office.
He said, “The party failed woefully in the election as a result of the poor decision by the Minister to single-handedly pick an unpopular candidate out of the more qualified and popular aspirants that bought forms on the platform of the party.
“The unilateral imposition of an unpopular candidate on the party for the election, arrogance, bad human relations, and weird allotment of positions and government patronages by Chief Adelabu have destroyed the party in Oyo State.
“At the end of the day, Adelabu’s imposed candidate was roundly defeated in all the 12 wards, including his polling unit, where he struggled to win just six votes.
“If Adelabu is not removed now his acts may seriously harm the administration of President Tinubu, stating that the Minister had already brought harm to the APC in Oyo State”.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
