A simmering power struggle within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has burst into the open after a faction of party leaders endorsed former secretary to the state government, Sharafadeen Alli, as their preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The endorsement emerged from what organisers described as a “high-level leadership summit” held in Samonda, Ibadan, bringing together stakeholders from across the state’s three senatorial districts and all 33 local government areas.
But the move was swiftly repudiated by supporters of the former minister of power, Adebayo Adelabu, who denounced the declaration as unauthorised and potentially destabilising for the party ahead of a crucial electoral cycle.
In a statement circulated to journalists, a leading figure in the Adelabu camp, Tade Akinjobi, said any endorsement lacking the imprimatur of the party’s formal structures was “null and void”, warning it could erode cohesion at a delicate moment.
Backers of Alli, however, insisted the move reflected a broader consensus-building strategy already taking shape in neighbouring south-west states, aimed at minimising internal conflict before primaries. Speaking at the summit, former senator Ayo Adeseun said the gathering was the culmination of extensive consultations among party leaders.
He further claimed that Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, had been consulted and was supportive of Alli’s emergence as the party’s standard-bearer. “Mr President remains the leader of our party, and his opinion … must be given due consideration,” Adeseun said.
Another senior figure, Fatai Ibikunle, urged other aspirants to align with the decision, arguing that unity would be decisive in securing victory in 2027.
The meeting was attended by several prominent APC figures, including Chief Akin Oke, Alhaji Akin Olajide, Chief MKO Laoye, Segun Odebunmi and George Akintola, underscoring what organisers portrayed as a broad coalition within the party.
In his response, Alli welcomed the endorsement, promising inclusive governance and thanking Tinubu for what he described as steady leadership within the APC.
Yet dissenting voices within the party have continued to mount. Adelabu’s supporters characterised the endorsement as an attempt to foist a candidate on the party outside established procedures, warning that such manoeuvres risk alienating aspirants who have already obtained nomination forms.
Akinjobi cautioned against invoking the president’s name to legitimise factional decisions, insisting that due process and internal democracy must guide the selection of candidates. “The party is sitting on a keg of gunpowder,” he said.
Other party officials echoed those concerns. Kola Amoo said while individuals were free to express preferences, such declarations could not override the party’s formal decision-making structures.
An APC executive member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, went further, dismissing the endorsement outright and insisting that neither the state leadership nor Tinubu had sanctioned any consensus arrangement.
“There is no executive member of the state in such a meeting,” the official said. “The party chairman has not spoken … It is the state chairman that will raise the hand if there is any consensus.”
The official also questioned the legitimacy of any process that excludes aspirants already in the race, arguing that a credible consensus must be negotiated with all stakeholders and endorsed by the state executive committee.
With multiple aspirants already positioning for the ticket, the dispute underscores deepening fault lines within the Oyo APC — and raises the prospect of a bruising primary season as the party struggles to reconcile competing ambitions ahead of 2027.
