Adebayo Adelabu
…cautions aspirants against name-dropping in pursuit of ambition
The recently resigned Minister of Power and governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that President Bola Tinubu and the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, have not endorsed any aspirant for the Oyo governorship election.
He advised aspirants jostling for political offices in 2027 to refrain from dropping the names of President Bola Tinubu and Oba Rashidi Ladoja in pursuit of their ambitions.
Adelabu gave the advice while addressing his teeming supporters shortly after his arrival in Ibadan after tendering his resignation letter as Minister of Power in Abuja.
He dismissed the rumour making the rounds that both Tinubu and Ladoja have endorsed a particular governorship candidate for the governorship seat in Oyo State in 2027.
Adelabu urged the people of the state to give him an opportunity to serve, promising that his administration would be the best if given the opportunity.
“My ambition to become governor of Oyo in 2027 is not to enrich myself; favour or benefit APC members but the generality of the populace. My administration will be for the mass-oriented including the poor, less privileges, women, youths, indigenes and residents of the state at large
“I want our people to give me the opportunity and grace to serve them. Oyo people should give me the opportunity they have given others who had served them, and I will give them the best the state deserves.”
He, therefore, exonerated President Tinubu and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja from a report making around that the duo has a prefered governorship aspirant, describing it as a mere rumor, and urged the residents to disregard it.
Adelabu said, “President Tinubu has not endorsed any consensus candidate, and the gubernatorial contest is open to whoever that is interested. Asiwaju is the President of Nigeria, overseeing 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“He is the President over 774 local governments. He is the President over almost 3,000 wards. So, he will not endorse or have special interest in anyone.
“He (Tinubu) said we should all go and meet as a party, reach consensus among ourselves as a party with critical stakeholders on ground, and if it’s not possible for us to reach consensus, then we go for direct primary.
“On Olubadan endorsing an aspirant, I take the report as a rumour and I don’t believe in it. Olubadan is the father of all, irrespective of status or political affiliations.”
Tribune
