By Ayomide Otitoju
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has expressed confidence that the Allied People’s Movement (APM) will record a major victory in the 2027 general elections as he received thousands of defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Makinde spoke on Monday at the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert held at the Open Tennis Court of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The defectors, led by Ajiboye Sangogade, popularly known as Boye Nation, were drawn from several local government areas across the state. Sangogade is a personal assistant and loyalist of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
Receiving the defectors, Makinde said their defection demonstrated growing support for the APM and expressed confidence that the party would win across the board in 2027.
“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,” he said.
The governor also urged the APC governorship candidate, Sharafadeen Alli, to focus on the APM candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, rather than criticising his administration.
Makinde said Alli should concentrate on persuading Oyo residents to support him, while expressing confidence that voters would choose Adekanmbi in the governorship election.
He also renewed his criticism of Alli’s legal career, describing him as a mediocre lawyer and questioning his professional record.
Makinde contrasted his engineering background with Adekanmbi’s accounting credentials, saying both had attained professional recognition in their respective fields.
“I am an engineer and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers — meaning I have excelled in my chosen career. The candidate we are presenting to you, Adekanmbi, is a graduate of Accounting and a professional who is also a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, the highest qualification in the profession.
“Ask Alli if he has any recognition in his own profession. He is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” he said.
The governor also responded to criticism over the use of diesel-powered generators to operate streetlights in the state, saying the situation would have been different if the Federal Government had resolved Nigeria’s electricity challenges.
Makinde recalled President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise on electricity supply, arguing that diesel generators would not have been needed to power streetlights if the promise had been fulfilled.
“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 event, themed “Young, United, Unstoppable (YUU),” also served as the official reception for Sangogade and his supporters into the APM.
The mega concert featured performances by Fuji artistes, including Taye Currency, Tiri Leather, Babatunmise, Ododo Emi, Ajao Samson Ajeseun Band and Aare Rasaq Ayanfe.
The event was attended by government officials, including Secretary to the State Government Musibau Babatunde; Chief of Staff Segun Ogunwuyi; members of the National and state assemblies; commissioners; APM leaders and other government officials.
Also present were the APM senatorial candidates for Oyo South, Oyo North and Oyo Central — Dhikrullahi Stanley Olajide Odidiomo, Shina Peller and Ajadi Oguntoyinbo — as well as 14 APM House of Representatives candidates.
