Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The crisis engulfing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has taken a dramatic new turn, as five governorship aspirants have issued a joint communiqué demanding the immediate resignation of the state party chairman, Dr. (Chief) Moses Alake Adeyemo. In a document signed on Monday, June 1, 2026, the aspirants accused the chairman of "gross abuse of office", violating the principle of neutrality, and undermining the integrity of the party's governorship primary process.
The aggrieved aspirants are Engr. Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan (a former deputy governor of Oyo State), Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, Dr. Ololade Usman Bakare and Prince Musbau Asatola Asanike. According to the communiqué, the five aspirants expressed deep dissatisfaction with the way the party is being run, asserting that the current leadership has "failed to uphold fairness, internal democracy, and unity, which are the essential tools for building a good party".
At the heart of the allegations are two key accusations. First, the aspirants claimed that Adeyemo directed all local government party chairmen to "ensure victory for a particular aspirant" even before the governorship primary was conducted. This directive, they stated, was "a gross abuse of office and a violation of neutrality". Second, they accused the chairman of declaring an aspirant as the party's candidate before the National Working Committee (NWC) officially released the primary results. "Only the NWC has the constitutional mandate to announce results," the communiqué stressed, noting that such premature action "preempted due process, confused party members, and eroded trust in our institutions".
The aspirants also pointed to the chairman's conduct after a Sallah meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during which he allegedly granted media interviews and presented a candidate as the party's flagbearer. They cited his public display of "raising an aspirant's hand" as further evidence of bias, stating that the gesture "amounted to imposition and disregarded the collective will of party members". The communiqué warned that "provocative speeches by the state chairman and his cohorts can tear the party apart," reminding the leadership of the "bitter lessons of 2019 and 2023" when the APC lost the state because "division, imposition, and injustice weakened our ranks".
Beyond the primary process, the aspirants highlighted what they described as broader leadership failures. According to the communiqué, the chairman never convened a meeting of aspirants during "the critical election period", leaving them in the dark on key decisions. Additionally, "inadequate election materials were provided for the governorship primaries from his office, which disrupted voting and disenfranchised delegates". They also expressed alarm that under Adeyemo's watch, party members are "leaving the APC in large numbers for other parties. Loyal members feel sidelined, unprotected, and disrespected. This exodus weakens our party structure and threatens our electoral prospects in 2026 and beyond".
The five aspirants called on the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to urgently intervene and facilitate Adeyemo's resignation, stressing that "the future of the APC in Oyo State depends on transparent leadership, respect for party rules, and justice for all members". As of the time of filing this report, Chairman Moses Adeyemo had not responded to the allegations, and the APC NWC had not issued an official statement on the matter.
Notably, the crisis stems from the APC governorship primary held on May 21, 2026, which produced Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli as the party's candidate after he polled 578,143 votes. The two major opponents, former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu (who resigned his cabinet position to contest) and former Commissioner for Works Professor Rauf Olaniyan (one of the five aspirants now calling for the chairman's resignation), scored 19,193 votes and 37,265 votes respectively, raising questions about the fairness of the exercise. The primary outcomes have since deepened internal rifts, with the five aggrieved aspirants warning that unless the chairman is removed, the APC risks repeating its electoral defeats in the 2027 general elections.
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