Bayo Adelabu, former minister of power, has said that President Bola Tinubu has not endorsed any All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
Adelabu was appointed minister of power in August 2023 after his confirmation by the Senate.
On Wednesday, he stepped down from the role, stating that his resignation was necessary to comply with the Electoral Act and to focus on his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
Speaking to select journalists in Ibadan on Thursday shortly after returning to the state, Adelabu dismissed reports that Tinubu has chosen a preferred candidate for the forthcoming governorship race.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, president of the federal Republic of Nigeria with 36 states, 774 local governments and almost 9,000 wards… he will not endorse or have special interest in anybody,” he said.
“Of course, in the last two, three weeks, there have been rumours that Asiwaju has endorsed someone else. But it is all a lie. I am his son. If he has such a plan, he would have told me.”
Adelabu noted that he has a robust relationship with Tinubu, which he said has made him enjoy the president’s backing in past elections.
“We did the 2019 election together. He supported me and we got to the supreme court. Also, during the 2023 election, we were together before I defected to Accord Party and I even supported him,” Adelabu said.
“When he became the president, he invited me despite being from another party, to be a minister in his cabinet. And not too longer after, I came back here to the APC where I truly belong.”
During a news conference on March 24, Adelabu had declined to comment on his resignation or governorship ambition, saying he remained focused on addressing the country’s electricity challenge.
However, on Thursday, Adelabu said he resigned from Tinubu’s cabinet solely to pursue his governorship ambition.
He also described the move as a calculated risk he was willing to take, noting that it aligns with his long-held political goal of leading the state.
“The singular reason for my resignation is to come back and plead for the opportunity to represent our party as the guber candidate in the 2027 general election. That is the only reason why I resigned,” he said.
“And this is not my first time of taking such risk because it is what I believe in and I’m ready to satisfy anything to ensure that I get to that position of representing our party and of winning the election.”
Adelabu further shared that he has been preparing for the role for over a decade and expressed confidence that he would deliver on key priorities like infrastructure development, economic prosperity, and security in Oyo state if elected.