A coalition operating under the name Concerned Oyo Youths has accused former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, of allegedly promoting division within the All Progressives Congress and showing disrespect to traditional and political leaders in Oyo State.
The group made the allegations in a statement issued after a meeting held in Ibadan on Wednesday evening, where it expressed concern over what it described as Adelabu’s conduct following his resignation from office.
According to the statement signed by the group’s spokesperson, Damola Okiki, Adelabu’s recent political activities have continued to fuel tension within the APC in the state.
The youths alleged that following what they described as a stalled political campaign, the former minister had resorted to issuing threats through associates and supporters during a sponsored endorsement gathering held in his local government area.
The group further alleged that supporters of Adelabu disrespected the Rashidi Ladoja, during the event and made derogatory remarks against senior APC leaders in the state.
“Since obtaining the APC nomination form, Chief Adelabu’s actions have consistently fostered division within the party, reflecting an attitude of ‘if it is not me, the party must scatter’ a pattern reminiscent of his defection to the Accord Party in 2023, where he actively campaigned against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.
The coalition urged Adelabu to focus more on presenting a clear political agenda to the people of Oyo State and to publicly outline his contributions to the APC and the state during his time as Minister of Power.
The group also referenced the prolonged electricity crisis at the University College Hospital, alleging that appeals made to Adelabu during the over 100-day power outage yielded no intervention from the former minister.
“As a group, we will not support Chief Adelabu’s ambition. While serving as Minister of Power, we formally reached out to him regarding the over 100-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), yet he failed to intervene, a neglect that contributed to the loss of lives,” the statement added.
The youths also questioned what they described as Adelabu’s sudden alignment with political structures associated with the late former governor, Abiola Ajimobi, the Lamist political bloc, and Teslim Folarin.
According to the group, Adelabu had allegedly distanced himself from those political tendencies in the past, only to now seek association with them amid preparations for the 2027 governorship race.
“We remain committed to supporting the candidate endorsed by our elders for the party’s ticket in the forthcoming election, provided it is not Chief Adebayo Adelabu,” Okiki stated.
