The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has called on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, to help the party regain control of Oyo State from Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Adelabu made the plea during a visit to the APC National Working Committee at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.
Adelabu led a delegation of Oyo State APC executives and lawmakers to the meeting, where he praised Ganduje for the party’s recent successes in Edo and Ondo States. He urged the chairman to guide and support Oyo APC to achieve similar victories.
The minister attributed the party’s previous losses in Oyo State to internal divisions but assured Ganduje that the APC in the state has resolved its differences.
“We are happy that, for the first time after the last elections, Oyo APC can now speak with one voice,” Adelabu said. “There is no faction in Oyo State APC again, and we are more determined than ever before to take over governance in Oyo State. A house divided against itself will surely fail. Oyo State is an APC state. We all know that.”
Adelabu reflected on the party’s struggles in the 2019 and 2023 elections, citing divisions among members as the primary reason for their defeat. However, he emphasized that Oyo APC is now united and ready to reclaim the state.
“In 2019, when I was the governorship candidate, we had divisions and could not achieve effective reconciliation before the election,” he said. “But Oyo APC is a grassroots party, a party of the masses, and we are ready to bounce back.”
Adelabu commended Ganduje and President Bola Tinubu for their leadership, saying the party has been reinvigorated under their guidance. “President Tinubu has shown courage and leadership since his inauguration. We believe with your support, Oyo APC will succeed,” he added.
In response, Ganduje expressed satisfaction with the progress made by Oyo APC in resolving its internal crisis. He urged the state chapter to organize a mega stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan to strengthen party unity and demonstrate its readiness to reclaim the state.
“Oyo is part of our blueprint, which we call political party homogeneity,” Ganduje said. “We have been looking for unity and uniformity in Oyo State, which we are now seeing. Organize a mega stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan that will involve all members of the party and intimidate the opposition.”
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He emphasized the importance of maintaining active and operational party offices at the ward, local government, and state levels. “This is how you can stay connected, coherently alive, and more importantly, intimidate the opponents,” he said.
Ganduje also highlighted the party’s focus on recovering seats lost in the House of Representatives due to the death of some members. “The task before us and the 2027 general election is to recover all the House of Reps seats we lost. Those seats belong to APC, and it is our duty to ensure we reclaim them,” he said.
With internal divisions resolved and plans underway to strengthen its grassroots support, Oyo APC appears determined to challenge Governor Seyi Makinde and the PDP in future elections. The party’s renewed focus on unity and strategy may mark a turning point in its quest to reclaim Oyo State.
As Adelabu concluded, “We are ready to take over governance in Oyo State. This is our time, and with the right leadership and unity, victory is within reach.”