Makinde Confident of APM Victory in 2027, Welcomes APC Members

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday said he believes the Allied People’s Movement (APM) will win the 2027 general elections. He mentioned that God, the people of Oyo State, and Nigerians are all supporting the party.

He spoke at the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert held at the Open Tennis Court of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan. During the event, he officially welcomed thousands of defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the APM.

The defectors were led by Ajiboye Sangogade, also known as Boye Nation, who is a personal assistant and loyalist to former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. They came from various local government areas across the state.

This information came from a statement released by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, in Ibadan, the state capital.

Makinde advised the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to focus on running against the APM candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi. He suggested that Alli should stop criticizing his administration.

He repeated his earlier statement that Alli is a mediocre lawyer. He added that the people of Oyo State will not let the state go back.

The governor urged Alli to work on convincing voters to support him. He expressed confidence that the people would choose Adekanmbi, who is a certified accountant, over Alli, who he described as a lawyer without notable achievements in his career.

Makinde also responded to comments about using diesel generators for streetlights in the state, despite his background as an engineer. He said the situation would be different if the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu had fixed Nigeria’s electricity problems.

He recalled Tinubu’s campaign promise that he should not be re-elected if he failed to solve the country’s power issues. He said, "God has signed off on what we are doing, and that is why it is raining. Today, we are welcoming thousands of APC members into the APM, and this shows that our victory is only a matter of time. We will win massively in all elections in 2027."

He continued, "This is why I encourage the APC governorship candidate, Senator Alli, to focus his energy on convincing the people of Oyo to support him despite the hardship brought upon them by his party. He should focus on the APM governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, instead of attacking our administration."

Makinde added, "He said I am an engineer yet we power streetlights with diesel. I believe he is pained because I said he is an unsuccessful lawyer. But where is the lie? I am an engineer and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, meaning I have excelled in my chosen career. The candidate we are presenting to you, Adekanmbi, is a graduate of Accounting and a professional who is also a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, the highest qualification in the profession."

He questioned, "Ask Alli if he has any recognition in his own profession. He is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. On powering streetlights with diesel generators, remind them that their leader was the one who said that if he didn’t fix Nigeria’s electricity problem within his first four years, no one should vote for him again. If he had fulfilled that promise, we would not be powering streetlights with diesel."

The concert, themed "Young, United, Unstoppable," served as the official reception for Sangogade, better known as Boye Nation, and his supporters into the APM.

The event included performances by Fuji artists like 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; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Segun Ogunwuyi; serving members of the National Assembly and the state House of Assembly; commissioners; APM leaders and other government officials.

Also present were the three APM senatorial candidates, Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo for Oyo South, Shina Peller for Oyo North, and Ajadi Oguntoyinbo for Oyo Central. There were also 14 APM House of Representatives candidates, 32 APM House of Assembly candidates, and 33 APM local government chairmanship candidates.