Chief Adebayo “Bayo” Adelabu, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, has formally announced his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
The declaration was made during a series of consultations with All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and stakeholders in the Ogbomoso and Oyo zones.
Adelabu, who twice ran unsuccessfully (in 2019 and 2023), said: “Truly, I have been on this journey for so long. I believe you don’t get a position immediately you join politics. I have paid my dues. I ran against Seyi (Makinde) in 2019, and again in 2023. By that time he was already in power.”
Invoking the Yoruba slogan “Emi lokan” (literally, “It’s my turn”), popularised by President Bola Tinubu in the lead-up to the 2023 general election, Adelabu said: “In 2027, God has shown that it’s my turn. Emi lòkàn o, Adelabu lòkàn. What’s mine belongs to all of us. I’m telling you there’s a lot of hard work ahead. All party members have to be involved; one person cannot do it.”
Adelabu previously served as Deputy Governor of Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) until mid-2018, when he resigned to contest the Oyo State governorship election under the APC.
In 2019, he was the APC gubernatorial candidate but lost to Seyi Makinde (PDP).
After losing the APC primary in 2022 to Teslim Folarin, he defected to the Accord Party, won its ticket, but again lost to Makinde in the 2023 election.
Following that, in August 2023, he was appointed Minister of Power by President Tinubu.
During his meetings in Ogbomoso and Oyo, Adelabu appealed for unity within the APC, urging party members to set aside past grievances and compete fairly.
He emphasised that leadership zones (zoning) should not be the determining factor, but rather God’s timing and competence. Adelabu also promised an inclusive administration.
“I will run an all-inclusive government where everybody will be involved in the governance of the state, and no one will be left behind if I become governor of the state in 2027,” he said.
- Imisi Crowned Winner of Big Brother Naija Season 10 - October 6, 2025
- ‘The Grass Is Not Greener There’, Bright Chimezie Warns African Youths Eyeing the West - October 6, 2025
- Nigerians Paint New York in Green and White at Independence Day Parade & Carnival - October 6, 2025