Minister of power, Bayo Adelabu, has announced that he will contest the Oyo State governorship election in 2027.
Speaking at an event, Adelabu said his long involvement in politics makes him confident that the time has come for him to lead the state.
“Truly, I have been on this journey for so long. I believe you don’t get a position immediately you join politics. I have paid my dues. I ran against Seyi (Makinde) in 2019, and again in 2023. By that time he was already in power,” he said.
Referencing the Yoruba phrase Emi lokan which translates to “it’s my turn” and was popularised by President Bola Tinubu , Adelabu declared, “In 2027, God has shown that it’s my turn. Emi lokan o, Adelabu lo kan. What’s mine belongs to all of us. I’m telling you there’s a lot of hard work ahead. All party members have to be involved, one person cannot do it.”
Adelabu resigned as deputy governor of operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2018 to pursue his first governorship ambition. He became the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in 2019 but was defeated by incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde.
In 2022, after losing the APC primary to Teslim Folarin, Adelabu moved to the Accord Party and contested on its platform, but again lost to Makinde.
President Tinubu later appointed him minister of power in August 2023 after nominating him on the ministerial list. Shortly after, Adelabu returned to the APC, stressing that his decision was about loyalty to Tinubu, not a governorship ambition.
“I returned not because of 2027 governorship ambition or to take over the party, but because I believe this is a party that brought President Bola Tinubu to power, and we need to support him to deliver on his electoral promises,” he said.
