Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has expressed confidence that the Allied People’s Movement (APM) will win the 2027 general elections. He made this statement during the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert held at the Open Tennis Court of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan, where he formally received thousands of defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the APM. Makinde attributed his confidence to the support of God, the people of Oyo State, and Nigerians at large.
The defectors, led by Ajiboye Sangogade, popularly known as Boye Nation, were drawn from several local government areas across Oyo State. Sangogade is a personal assistant and loyalist to former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. Makinde advised the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to focus on contesting against the APM candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, rather than criticizing his administration. He described Adekanmbi, a certified accountant, as a more suitable candidate than Alli, a lawyer without a record of success in legal practice.
Makinde reiterated his earlier position that Alli is a mediocre lawyer and that the people of Oyo State would not allow the state to regress. He urged Alli to focus on persuading the electorate to support him, while expressing confidence that voters would choose Adekanmbi over Alli. Makinde also addressed criticisms over the use of diesel-powered generators to power streetlights in the state, despite his background as an engineer.
According to Makinde, the situation would have been different if the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu had resolved Nigeria’s electricity challenges. He recalled Tinubu’s campaign promise that he should not be re-elected if he failed to fix the country’s power problem. Makinde stated that he is an engineer and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, implying that he has excelled in his chosen career.
The concert, themed “Young, United, Unstoppable”, served as the official reception for Sangogade and his supporters into the APM. The event featured performances by Fuji artistes, including Alhaji Taye Currency, Alhaji Tiri Leather, Babatunmise, Ajeseun Band, and Aare Rasaq Ayanfe, among others. Dignitaries at the event included the Secretary to the State Government, Musibau Babatunde, and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Segun Ogunwuyi.
Other dignitaries present at the event were serving members of the National Assembly and the state House of Assembly, commissioners, APM leaders, and other government functionaries. The three APM senatorial candidates, Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo for Oyo South, Shina Peller for Oyo North, and Ajadi Oguntoyinbo for Oyo Central, were also present, as well as 14 APM House of Representatives candidates, 32 APM House of Assembly candidates, and the 33 APM local government chairmanship candidates.
Makinde concluded by stating that God has signed off on what the APM is doing, and that their victory is only a matter of time. He expressed confidence that the APM will win massively in all elections in 2027. The governor's statement has set the tone for what promises to be a keenly contested election in Oyo State.
Key points
- Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde predicts a landslide win for the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in the 2027 general elections.
- Makinde welcomes thousands of APC defectors into the APM, saying their victory is only a matter of time.
- The governor advises APC governorship candidate Senator Sharafadeen Alli to focus on contesting against APM candidate Bimbo Adekanmbi.
