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Adebayo Adelabu, former Minister of Power, has dismissed Sharafadeen Alli’s endorsement of Senator representing Oyo South as the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, insisting that President Bola Tinubu has not backed any aspirant.
Some APC leaders in the state had on Friday endorsed Alli for the 2027 governorship race during a meeting in Ibadan, with former senator Ayo Adeseun claiming the president supported the move.
However, speaking on Saturday at an APC meeting in Ibadan South-East, Adelabu said he personally obtained the president’s approval to pursue his governorship ambition before resigning from office.
He maintained that claims suggesting the president had endorsed another candidate were false, explaining that he had held a private meeting with Tinubu, who encouraged him to pursue his ambition rather than remain in government.
“Before I resigned, I said, I need to see the person who appointed me for a face-to-face conversation. That was why I delayed my resignation to have time to see him (Tinubu),” Adelabu said in Yoruba language.
“He called some stakeholders in Oyo so that when I see him, he will know what to tell me. I met him last week in a closed-door meeting. I can’t tell lies against the president publicly.
“He told me that Bayo, it is time. We have been on this ambition for a very long time. It is a long-time ambition of yours. As much as I want you to be around me, I won’t hinder your ambition. Go and resign to start work.”
Adelabu said the president indicated that consultations would be held to explore the possibility of a consensus arrangement, but added that a direct primary would be adopted if consensus could not be reached.
He stressed that no aspirant had been officially endorsed by the president, describing contrary claims as misleading.
The former minister added that even if the president were to eventually support any candidate in the state, he was confident he would be the preferred choice.
“By the grace of God, that is what he told me. He said he will look at it and reach out to two or three persons to see whether a consensus arrangement is possible, and that if it is not possible, we will go through the route of direct primary. That is what the president told me,” he added.
“Anybody saying he had a meeting with the president and that he endorsed someone is telling lies. They are telling lies.
“The president has not called anybody to endorse any candidate in Oyo.”
