A coalition of concerned youths in Oyo State has expressed deep concern over the recent conduct of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, since his resignation from office.
In a statement issued after a meeting held in Ibadan on Wednesday evening signed by the group’s spokesperson, Damola Okiki, the group accused Chief Adelabu of engaging in actions that undermine party unity and disrespect traditional and political leaders in the state.
The group noted that in the wake of a stalled campaign, Chief Adelabu has resorted to issuing threats through his aides and at a sponsored endorsement event in his local government. During the event, his supporters were alleged to have shown disrespect to His Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and made derogatory remarks against senior leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State.
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“Since obtaining the APC nomination form, Chief Adelabu’s actions have consistently fostered division within the party, reflecting an attitude of ‘if it is not me, the party must scatter’ — a pattern reminiscent of his defection to the Accord Party in 2023, where he actively campaigned against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.
The group called on Chief Adelabu to redirect his focus towards articulating a clear campaign agenda and to highlight his contributions to Oyo APC and the people of Oyo State during his tenure as Minister of Power.
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“As a group, we will not support Chief Adelabu’s ambition. While serving as Minister of Power, we formally reached out to him regarding the over 100-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), yet he failed to intervene, a neglect that contributed to the loss of lives,” the group stated.
The youths also questioned Chief Adelabu’s sudden alignment with the political structures of the Lamists, the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and Senator Teslim Folarin — groups he had previously disregarded for years — describing it as an attempt to exploit their names to create discord within the party.
“We remain committed to supporting the candidate endorsed by our elders for the party’s ticket in the forthcoming election, provided it is not Chief Adebayo Adelabu,” said Mr. Damola Agbaje, spokesperson for the group.
