Governor Says Thousands of APC Members Have Joined APM, Backs Bimbo Adekanmbi
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has expressed confidence that the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) will win the 2027 general elections, saying God and the people of Oyo State and Nigeria are behind the party.
Governor Makinde spoke on Monday at the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan, where he received thousands of defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the APM.
The defectors, led by Ajiboye Sangogade, popularly known as Boye Nation, were drawn from several local government areas across the state. Sangogade is a personal assistant and loyalist to former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, Governor Makinde urged APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to focus on campaigning against the APM candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, rather than criticising his administration.
Governor Makinde repeated his earlier criticism of Alli’s legal career and said Oyo voters would not support what he described as a return to the past.
He also compared the professional backgrounds of the two candidates, describing Adekanmbi as a certified accountant and criticising Alli’s record in legal practice.
The governor also responded to criticism over the use of diesel-powered generators to operate streetlights in the state, despite his background as an engineer.
Governor Makinde attributed the situation to Nigeria’s wider electricity challenges, arguing that the state would not need diesel generators for streetlights if the Federal Government had resolved the power problem.
“If he had fulfilled that promise, we would not be powering streetlights with diesel,” Governor Makinde said, referring to President Bola Tinubu’s previous comments on improving electricity supply.
The governor said the reception of the defectors demonstrated growing support for the APM and expressed confidence that the party would record victories in the 2027 elections.
The event, themed “Young, United, Unstoppable,” featured performances by Fuji artistes and was attended by government officials, APM leaders and candidates for the National Assembly, state House of Assembly and local government elections.