Reported by: Ijeoma .G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Former Minister of Power and former Oyo State governorship aspirant, Adebayo Adelabu, has alleged widespread irregularities and manipulation during the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries conducted in Oyo State.
Adelabu made the allegation on Thursday, May 22, 2026, shortly after the APC primary election held across parts of Oyo State ahead of the 2027 governorship election. According to videos and statements circulated online after the exercise, the former minister claimed that election results in several wards were allegedly prepared before voting commenced.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the primary election, Adelabu reportedly said:
“In some wards they already wrote the result before election started. Even places where election did not hold, they announced result. We cannot build democracy like this.”
The allegation quickly generated reactions within political circles in Oyo State and across Nigerian social media platforms, where supporters and critics debated the credibility of the APC primary process.
Reports indicated that Adelabu accused unnamed party officials and local electoral handlers within the APC structure in Oyo State of manipulating the exercise in favour of preferred interests. However, as of Friday, May 23, 2026, the APC leadership in Oyo State had not issued a detailed official response directly addressing the specific allegations raised by the former minister.
The controversy emerged during preparations for the 2027 Oyo State governorship election, which is already attracting political tension among different APC factions seeking to reclaim the state from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Adebayo Adelabu has remained one of the most prominent APC political figures in Oyo State in recent years. He previously contested the Oyo governorship election under the APC in 2019 but lost to PDP candidate Seyi Makinde.
Following internal party disagreements ahead of the 2023 governorship election, Adelabu left the APC and joined the Accord Party after losing the APC governorship ticket to Senator Teslim Folarin. He later returned to the APC and subsequently served as Minister of Power under President Bola Tinubu’s administration before reportedly resigning from office in April 2026.
The latest allegations have also revived public discussions about internal democracy within political parties in Nigeria, particularly regarding delegate systems, consensus arrangements, and primary election transparency.
Videos and online reports linked to the APC primaries showed Adelabu expressing frustration over what he described as “scandalous” conduct during parts of the exercise. In another circulating remark attributed to him, he reportedly questioned how credible general elections would be if internal party primaries were already compromised.
The allegations sparked widespread reactions online, with some social media users mocking the former minister while others argued that concerns about manipulation within party primaries should be taken seriously regardless of political affiliation.
Several commentators also referenced Adelabu’s tenure as Minister of Power, linking his complaints about democratic processes to broader dissatisfaction among Nigerians over electricity challenges and governance issues during his time in office.
As of Friday evening, May 23, 2026, no court action had been publicly announced by Adelabu regarding the primary election dispute, while no official rerun or cancellation of the contested wards had been confirmed by APC authorities in Oyo State.
The development adds to a long history of internal factional disputes within the Oyo APC, where rival blocs have repeatedly clashed over candidate selection and party leadership structures in previous election cycles.
Political observers say the outcome of the APC internal crisis could significantly influence opposition strategies ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, where the ruling PDP is expected to face strong competition from opposition parties seeking to regain control of the state.
As of the latest reports, the APC had not announced any disciplinary measures, independent review panel, or investigation into the allegations raised by Adelabu concerning the conduct of the primaries.
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