A coalition of concerned youths in Oyo State has expressed deep concern about what it termed the “divisive conduct” of a former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, since his resignation from office to contest the governorship election in 2027.
The group made its position on Adelabu, who is seeking the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to run for the election, known in a statement issued after a meeting held in Ibadan on Wednesday evening.
It accused him of engaging in actions that undermine party unity and disrespect traditional and political leaders in the state.
It noted that in the wake of a stalled campaign, he has resorted to issuing threats through his aides and at a sponsored endorsement event in his local government.
During the event, his supporters were alleged to have shown disrespect to His Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and made derogatory remarks against senior leaders of the APC in Oyo State.
“Since obtaining the APC nomination form, Chief Adelabu’s actions have consistently fostered division within the party, reflecting an attitude of ‘if it is not me, the party must scatter’ — a pattern reminiscent of his defection to the Accord Party in 2023, where he actively campaigned against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.
The group called on Adelabu to redirect his focus towards articulating a clear campaign agenda and highlight his contributions to the APC and the people of Oyo State during his tenure as Minister of Power.
It said: “As a group, we will not support Chief Adelabu’s ambition.
“While serving as Minister of Power, we formally reached out to him regarding the over 100-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), yet he failed to intervene, a neglect that contributed to the loss of lives.”
The youths also questioned his sudden alignment with the political structures of the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Senator Teslim Folarin, groups he was accused of previously disregarding for years, describing it as an attempt to exploit their names to create discord within the party.
“We remain committed to supporting the candidate endorsed by our elders for the party’s ticket in the forthcoming election, provided it is not Chief Adebayo Adelabu,” said Damola Agbaje, the spokesperson for the group.
