Ex-Power Minister Denies Anti-APC Remarks

The former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has denied urging Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress, calling a report circulating on social media false and misleading.

Adelabu, through his media office, said the report relied on an excerpt from a 2022 interview he granted while contesting the Oyo State governorship election on the platform of the Accord Party.

The denial followed the resurfacing of a video on Saturday in which Adelabu appeared to urge Nigerians to reject the APC during the interview.

In a statement issued on Sunday, his media office said the video had been taken out of context to portray him as opposed to the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu.

The statement read, “This report is entirely false, misleading and maliciously intended to discredit Chief Adelabu, undermine his loyalty to the APC and, perhaps, create unnecessary friction between him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the party. We therefore urge the public to disregard the fabricated narrative.”

According to the statement, Adelabu had argued during the 2022 interview that political parties had disappointed Nigerians and that voters should assess candidates based on their credibility and character.

It maintained that his comments reflected the political circumstances at the time and did not amount to a call to reject the APC or oppose Tinubu’s presidency.

The media office also dismissed suggestions that Adelabu’s remarks indicated a breakdown in his relationship with the President or the party’s leadership.

It insisted that the former minister remained committed to the APC and loyal to Tinubu, despite controversies surrounding the party’s governorship nomination process in Oyo State.

“Anyone who knows Chief Adelabu, his political antecedents and his relationship with the President would find it difficult to believe such an allegation without compelling evidence. Throughout his political journey, Adelabu has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the APC and his loyalty to President Tinubu,” the statement disclosed.

The statement also addressed Adelabu’s reported dissatisfaction with how the APC handled the governorship primary in Oyo State. It said he had questioned the alleged failure to transparently release the primary election results and the subsequent declaration of a preferred aspirant as the winner.

His media office argued that demanding transparency and internal democracy should not be interpreted as disloyalty to the party.

“His position has been consistent: loyalty does not preclude the demand for fairness, transparency and adherence to democratic principles,” the statement said.

The office added that Adelabu had repeatedly maintained that he had no intention of leaving the APC and that his political ambition was not a do-or-die affair.

It described his relationship with Tinubu as longstanding and founded on mutual respect and trust, adding that it remained cordial.