Members of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State have gathered in Ibadan, the state capital, for the primary election of the party.
Although the event was initially meant to be for the Presidential and Governorship primaries, only the Governorship Primary was held in what turned out to be an affirmation of the candidates rather than a contest.
At the event, the Chairman of APM in Oyo State, Otunba Adegbenro Fagbemi, declared a former commissioner in the state, Abimbola Adekanmbi, as the consensus governorship candidate of the party and presented a Certificate of Return to him.
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Fagbemi also presented all the Senatorial, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly candidates of the APM who are members of the faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Governor Makinde.
The decision to adopt APM follows an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Makinde’s factional PDP and the National Leadership of the APM that the governor’s men will use the APM platform to contest the 2027 General Election.
While speaking, Governor Seyi Makinde disclosed that he decided on a unity deal with the APM as a way of showing smartness and saving his team from the leadership mess in the PDP.
He noted that if he had held any primary under the PDP with the rancor still ongoing in the party, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) would have shunned the event, asserting that the INEC had attended the party’s primary election because it is a clean platform.
Makinde advised Adekanmbi not to inherit his enemies but chart his own path as he begins his political adventure of taking over the mantle of leadership in 2027.
He urged Adekanmbi to improve only on the good things he (Makinde) did in his two terms as governor.
In his acceptance speech, the APM governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, promised to continue the developmental strides of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration in the state, paying glowing tribute to the governor, whom he called the architect of modern Oyo State.
He said Makinde had rebuilt the state through deliberate investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agribusiness, security, and youth empowerment, asserting that leadership is about impact, not noise.
Adekanmbi said that his administration, if elected, would usher in an era of continued development that would reach the grassroots, empower youths and women, industrialise the economy, and strengthen key sectors including education, health, agriculture, tourism, technology, commerce, and security.
He appreciated the leadership of the PDP in Oyo State for the cooperation and political brotherhood shared over the years, saying politics should not destroy relationships or the collective desire for the state’s progress.
The governorship candidate also commended the APM leadership for embracing a bigger vision and choosing progress over politics.
He assured the party that their labour would not be in vain, pledging peaceful campaigns, massive mobilisation, and responsible governance.
