Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has declared that the Allied People’s Movement (APM) will record a sweeping victory in the 2027 general elections, saying God and the people of Oyo State are behind the party.
Makinde made the declaration on Monday, September 21, at the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert held at the Open Tennis Court of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, where he received thousands of defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the APM.
The defectors, led by Ajiboye Sangogade, popularly known as Boye Nation, a personal assistant and loyalist of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, were drawn from several local government areas across the state.
The governor urged the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to concentrate on campaigning for votes rather than criticising his administration.
Makinde also repeated his earlier criticism of Alli, describing him as an “unsuccessful lawyer”, while urging voters to support APM candidate Bimbo Adekanmbi, whom he described as a certified accountant and Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
He said: “God has signed off on what we are doing, and that is why it is raining. Today, we are welcoming thousands of APC members into the Allied People’s Movement (APM), and this shows that our victory is only a matter of time. We will win massively in all elections in 2027.”
Makinde said Alli should focus on convincing Oyo residents to vote for him rather than attacking the state government.
“This is why I encourage the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to focus his energy on convincing the people of Oyo State to support him despite the hardship brought upon them by his party. He should focus on the APM governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, instead of attacking our administration,” he said.
The governor also responded to criticism over the use of diesel generators to power some streetlights across the state.
Makinde argued that the situation would have been different if the Federal Government had resolved the country’s electricity challenges, recalling President Bola Tinubu’s reported campaign promise concerning the power sector.
“On powering streetlights with diesel generators, remind them that their leader was the one who said that if he didn’t fix Nigeria’s electricity problem within his first four years, no one should vote for him again. If he had fulfilled that promise, we would not be powering streetlights with diesel,” he said.
The concert, themed “Young, United, Unstoppable (YUU),” was organised to formally receive Sangogade and his supporters into the APM.
The event featured performances by Fuji musicians, including Alhaji Taye Currency, Alhaji Tiri Leather, Babatunmise, Ododo Emi, Ajao Samson Ajeseun Band and Aare Rasaq Ayanfe, among others.
Those in attendance included the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; members of the National Assembly and Oyo State House of Assembly; commissioners; APM leaders and other government officials.
Also present were the three APM senatorial candidates — Hon. Dhikrullahi Stanley Olajide Odidiomo (Oyo South), Hon. Shina Peller (Oyo North) and Hon. Ajadi Oguntoyinbo (Oyo Central) — alongside 14 House of Representatives candidates, 32 House of Assembly candidates and 33 local government chairmanship candidates.
