"I AM NOT LEAVING THE APC": Adelabu Debunks APM Defection Rumors, Rejects Sharafadeen Alli’s Consensus Bid

By David Alani Ige, (The Scribe)

July 25, 2026

  

Chief Adebayo Adelabu 

IBADAN, OYO STATE — The immediate past Minister of Power and a leading political heavyweight in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu (Penkelemesi), has forcefully shut down widespread rumors suggesting he is secretly plotting a defection to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial elections. 

In a decisive move to set the record straight, Adelabu’s camp has dismissed the defection narrative as the handiwork of political detractors seeking to sow discord within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State.

The APM Defection Rumor: "A Baseless Distraction"

Speculations had been rife across political circles in Ibadan that Adelabu, frustrated by internal party dynamics, was quietly negotiating a move to the APM to secure an unopposed gubernatorial ticket. 

However, addressing the rumors head-on, Adelabu made it unequivocally clear that his loyalty to the progressive fold remains entirely unshaken. 

"I am a founding pillar of the APC in Oyo State, and I am not leaving the party for the APM or any other platform,"the statement read. "These rumors are baseless distractions concocted by those who are terrified of a free, fair, and democratic primary process within the APC."

The Real Battle: The Rejection of a Consensus Candidate

While the APM defection rumors have been laid to rest, Ayekooto Media can authoritatively report that a fierce internal battle is currently raging within the Oyo APC. The core issue is the alleged attempt by certain power brokers to impose Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the party's consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 elections.

Adelabu has vehemently rejected this arrangement. According to his camp, the idea of a "consensus" is merely a smokescreen to disenfranchise other viable aspirants and bypass the democratic will of the party's delegates.

The former minister insists that the APC must not repeat the historical mistakes that have previously cost them the Agodi Government House. He is demanding a transparent, direct, or indirect primary election where all aspirants can test their popularity on an even playing field. 

What Next for the Oyo APC?

With Adelabu firmly planting his feet within the APC and openly challenging the consensus agenda, the battle lines are officially drawn. The Oyo APC is once again at a critical crossroads. 

Will the party leadership force through the consensus arrangement in favor of Sharafadeen Alli, risking a massive internal revolt? Or will they bow to Adelabu’s demand for an open primary to preserve the party's unity? 

One thing is absolutely certain: Chief Adebayo Adelabu is not backing down, and he is certainly not running to the APM. He is staying to fight for the ticket from within.

Ayekooto Media is monitoring the developments closely as the race for the Agodi Government House intensifies.

David Alani Ige, (The Scribe)

Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Ayekooto Media

Phunshor01@gmail.com | publisher@ayekootomediang.com

Archiving Nigeria’s Political Realities and Unvarnished Truths..