A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, known as Concerned Leaders, has attributed the party's defeat in the Ibadan North Federal Constituency bye-election to candidate imposition and poor decision-making by party leadership.
In a statement signed by the group's Chairman, Tejumola Adisa, the Concerned Leaders specifically pointed fingers at the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, accusing him of unilaterally imposing an unpopular candidate on the party.
The APC candidate, Adewale Haastrup Olatunji, suffered a significant defeat in the bye-election, losing even his own polling unit to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Folajimi Sunday Oyekunle. According to reports, Olatunji managed to secure only six votes at his polling unit.
"The party failed woefully in the election as a result of the poor decision by the Minister to single-handedly pick an unpopular candidate out of the more qualified and popular aspirants that bought forms on the platform of the party," the statement read.
The group further alleged that Minister Adelabu has been favoring members of the Accord party, where he contested the gubernatorial election in 2023, at the expense of APC members. According to Adisa, the Minister allocated the three major appointments designated for Oyo State exclusively to Accord party members.
"The unilateral imposition of an unpopular candidate on the party for the election, arrogance, bad human relations, and weird allotment of positions and government patronages by Chief Adelabu have destroyed the party in Oyo State," the statement continued.
The Concerned Leaders group has called for Adelabu's removal from office, warning that his continued presence could cause further damage to the party in Oyo State and potentially harm President Tinubu's administration.
"At the end of the day, Adelabu's imposed candidate was roundly defeated in all the 12 wards, including his polling unit. If Adelabu is not removed now, his acts may seriously harm the administration of President Tinubu," the group stated.
The bye-election results have raised concerns about the APC's internal cohesion in Oyo State ahead of future electoral contests, with party members calling for a return to democratic principles in candidate selection processes.
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