Oyo APC Guber: Former Power Minister Adelabu Says He Won’t Pursue Appeal, Calls For Party Reconciliation

Former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has said he will not pursue an appeal within the All Progressives Congress, APC or institute legal proceedings over the outcome of the party’s governorship nomination process in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Adelabu, a governorship aspirant, announced the decision in a statement released on Wednesday, August 26, after meeting with party leaders and representatives of supporters from the 33 Local Government Areas and 351 wards of the state.

Adelabu said the decision was taken “in the interest of peace, party stability and the larger future of the APC in Oyo State,” and should not be interpreted as a lack of evidence or conviction.

“This decision is not because of a lack of evidence, confidence or conviction. Neither should it be interpreted as an act of surrender or an indication that my aspiration to serve as Governor of Oyo State is a do-or-die affair,” he stated.

Adelabu noted that after extensive consultations, he chose not to escalate the matter through avenues that may “deepen existing divisions and undermine the cohesion of our great party.”

The former minister said the meeting reviewed concerns raised by members and stakeholders following the conclusion of the primaries.

According to him, the actual results of the primary elections, including votes scored at ward and LGA levels, “have not been formally and transparently declared.” Instead, he said, names of selected individuals were subsequently entered on the INEC electronic portal as the party’s candidates for governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly positions.

“We agreed that the absence of publicly declared and verifiable results has understandably generated serious concerns about the transparency, credibility and integrity of the nomination process,” the statement read.

Adelabu added that substantial documentary materials, authenticated collation records and video evidence exist which “raise serious questions about aspects of the process and the eventual outcomes.”

He referenced the APC National Chairman’s recent visit to Oyo State, during which the Chairman “openly acknowledged that there were errors, unfairness and injustice associated with aspects of the primary election process.”

Adelabu urged the National Leadership of the APC to initiate a “comprehensive, sincere and credible reconciliation process” that engages all affected stakeholders.

“The most meaningful path to genuine reconciliation is to address the issues that have given rise to the grievances in the first place. The party must demonstrate, through concrete actions, that justice, fairness, transparency and the wishes of its members remain the foundation of its democratic processes,” he said.

He emphasized that the responsibility for reconciliation “cannot simply be transferred to aspirants,” and warned that “electoral victory cannot be secured merely by entering names on an electronic portal.”

Adelabu reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC and to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “I am not leaving the party, and my commitment to its progress remains unwavering,” he said.

He also appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful and avoid anti-party activities.

“Let me make it absolutely clear that I do not support, encourage or condone any form of anti-party activity by any of my supporters, loyalists, associates or political structures. Any such action is unacceptable, condemned and does not have my blessing,” he stated.

Quoting his late grandmother, he added: “Revenge doesn’t heal; it only creates another wound.”

Adelabu served as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and later as Honourable Minister of Power. He contested for the Oyo State governorship under the APC in previous election cycles.

He concluded saying: “We may be closing this particular contest, but we are not conceding the injustice. We are choosing the path of peace without surrendering the principles of fairness, transparency and democratic justice.”