With Adelabu’s return, Oyo APC teeters on the brink

The recent return of Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, and his loyalists to Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) swelled the opposition party in terms of numbers, but may have deepened the division within the ranks and thrown up more questions in need of answers, SEYE OLUMIDE writes.

Last Friday, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, made a return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State chapter. He had defected to Accord Party in 2022 after losing APC’s gubernatorial ticket to Senator Teslim Folarin under allegedly controversial circumstances.

His return, however, appears to have been greeted by muffled dissent in some quarters within party ranks, just as it is raising many questions in need of answers.

Recall that Adelabu contested the Oyo State gubernatorial election in 2019 under the platform of APC but lost to Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Following his defection to Accord Party in 2022, again, he contested and lost the governorship to Makinde in the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election.

Fortune later smiled on him, as President Bola Tinubu, in spite of his non-membership of the APC, selected him as a minister much to the consternation of most party faithful in the state.

Since the former deputy governor of the Central Bank’s ministerial appointment, speculation had been rife that he would return to APC with the sole aim of using the platform to take another shot at the governorship seat in 2027.

And rightfully, the pundits were proved right on Friday, when Adelabu and the Northwest United Progressive Front, a grassroots political group that populated the structure of Accord in Ibadan North, among others, held the Oke-Ado road, Ibadan, to a standstill to herald his return.

Adelabu, who observed his Jumat service at the late Abiola Ajimobi’s mosque situated close to the APC secretariat along Oke-Ado at about 1 p.m., strolled along with his supporters to the secretariat where he met with members of APC executive, who were on hand to receive him.

According to Olawale Sadare, “This dismissed the insinuation that the ceremony did not hold at the party secretariat as some rumourmongers were trying to sell to the public.

“The minister met with party executives and members and fruitful discussions were held. The state chairman Isaac Omodewu, was unavoidably absent because of personal commitment. The immediate past State chairman, Chief Akin Oke; wife of former Governor Ajimobi, Florence, and others were also not there. But the team visited their separate houses immediately after the ceremony to pay them homage.”

Sadare described the event as a success, and one that has swelled the population of APC in Oyo State. He also dismissed as “speculations of naysayers” words making that rounds that considerable members of Oyo APC across the 33 local councils boycotted the event to further vent their displeasure over how the presidency treated the party after the 2023 general polls.

The Guardian was informed that Adelabu had directed that only few party members should be mobilised to attend the event considering the economic hardship and prevalent cost of living in the country.

His return done with, many are of the view that the crisis in Oyo APC may further worsen, especially because of the perception that he has returned primarily to feather his nest, and not to help rebuild the party.

Some party men opined that Adelabu’s return and the circumstances surrounding it, signposts further injustice and disregard that is being meted on Oyo APC members by President Tinubu and the party’s national leadership.

They also believe that the minister’s defection might cause problems for the incumbent executive committee, currently led by Omodewu. Recall that Senator Ayo Adeseun, an adherent of Adelabu recently said the Omodewu-led executive would be dissolved, a comment that was immediately rebuffed by the party.

It is on record that the Omodewu-led executive is loyal to Folarin. As a matter of fact, it is alleged that the incumbent APC executive in Oyo was responsible for Folarin’s emergence as the party’s flag bearer in the last gubernatorial polls and it is possibly not going to do otherwise, except it is changed ahead of 2027.

Besides, Folarin, it was gathered, is also still nursing the idea of contesting the gubernatorial election in 2027 on APC’s platform.

Adelabu’s return is therefore expected to trigger another round of struggle for the control of APC structure between the faction loyal to the minister and the former senator.

Even the progressives, who were said to be displeased with how Folarin overran the party last year may also not be favourably disposed to the manner the minister returned without duly carrying them along. Majority of them are said to be angry that when the minister got he appointment, he also chose to benefit his loyalists in Accord rather than those within the APC fold in the last few months.

The Guardian learnt that a subtle argument is also ongoing that if Adelabu’s aim is to get the party’s ticket in 2027, what then happens to the gentleman rotational arrangement among the three senatorial districts in the state.

In the last 12 years, Oyo South, specifically Ibadan, had produced the governors in the person of Ajimobi and the incumbent, Seyi Makinde. So, the question is, will other zones fold their arms and allow Ibadan to produce Makinde’s successor in 2027 again?

But some aggrieved members of APC believe that, “When we get to that bridge, we shall cross it. This may also give Makinde an edge to determine who will succeed him since his current deputy is from Oke Ogun.”

Another issue likely to worsen the party’s crisis is the manner Adelabu returned. In a letter, dated, December 6 2023, titled: ‘Ceremony to announce my return to APC,’ addressed to the State chairman, Isaac Omodewu and signed by Adelabu, the Minister wrote: “I hereby write to notify the State Executives and leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State, of my intention to officially announce my return to our great party at a ceremony to be held at the party office in Oke-Ado on December 15, 2023. I want this ceremony to be anchored by the State Executives with all local government party chairmen and leaders in attendance.

“You will recall that I left the party alongside my faithful and loyal followers at the peak of the crisis that rocked the party, emanating from the manner the state congress and consequently the primary elections were administered. However, having consulted with our national leaders and executives, I have decided to return to the party. My first demonstration of this was a courtesy visit to the party’s National Chairman where we agreed on the imperatives of my return to the party.

“As a serving Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the President Tinubu-led administration, I look forward to a robust working relationship with the State Executive, party leaders and entire members towards achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President and the party at large, and in particular, in installing an APC-led government at the State level in 2027 for an unprecedented development of Oyo State.”

Former state chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke said he was aware of Adelabu’s move to return to APC but he was not officially contacted.He, however, said the minister’s return was a welcome development.

Sadare also confirmed that one of the aides to Adelabu brought a letter to the party on December 6, 2023. “The party simply received the letter but is yet to officially respond to it,” he added.

When prompted further about the date, venue and time of the return ceremony, Sadare said, “I don’t know anything about that. The party is yet to respond to the letter. But anybody wanting to return to APC is welcome.”

While addressing newsmen after meeting the party executive on Friday, Adelabu said he returned to APC to help President Tinubu’s administration succeed.

The minister said members who left the APC with him have also returned to make the party stronger, adding that his decision is not about his governorship ambition.

“I returned not because of 2027 governorship ambition or to take over the party, but because I believe this is a party that brought President Tinubu to power, and we need to support him to deliver on his electoral promises.

“This is not time for politics, it is time for governance and Tinubu needs our support for him to succeed and deliver on his Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We have come to extend hands of fellowship and reconciliation.We are assuring you that we are back for cooperation and collaboration for us to build a strong party, so that the party will take over power in the state at the end of the day in 2027,”Adelabu said.

Earlier in the week, the Ibadan Northwest United Progressive Front, a grassroots political group that populated the structure of Accord in Ibadan Northwest Local Council, announced their alignment with the decision of Adelabu, to return to the APC.

According to the leadership of the group, Adelabu had displayed exemplary leadership qualities worthy of emulating over the years, and they are convinced that his leadership direction is worthy of being followed.

Recall that the group constituted the bulk of party faithful that left the APC amidst the crisis that rocked the party after its 2022 primaries in Oyo state.

According to Babatunde Jalaruru, an erstwhile Accord chairman in Ibadan Northwest Local Council, they were not only joining the minister to return to APC, but also collapsing all the structures of Accord in the local government into the APC.

According to him, decamping to APC is like a homecoming, as they are familiar with the terrain and would do everything within their capacity to join the APC leaders in Ibadan Northwest Local Council in particular and the state, at large, in strengthening and repositioning the party for success and victory in all future elections.

Source: Guardian