Oyo 2027: APM Guber Candidate Bimbo Adekanmbi ‘Empties’ Oyo APC as 16 Ajimobi-Era Top Aides, Key Stakeholders Set to Decamp
By Our Reporter
The political calculations ahead of the 2027 Oyo State governorship election have taken a fresh turn, as some former political aides and associates of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi are reportedly considering dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The Nigeria Times gathered on Thursday morning that a number of former aides who served under the Ajimobi administration, alongside some influential APC stakeholders in the state, are allegedly making plans to join the APM, with November being considered for the commencement of the defections.
A source familiar with the development disclosed this to The Nigeria Times during a telephone interview on Thursday morning.
According to the source, the planned movement is not limited to former political aides of the late governor, but could also involve former commissioners and other key political stakeholders currently associated with the APC.
The source said the development was part of a broader realignment ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with the APM governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, emerging as a major attraction for politicians seeking a new political platform.“It is not only former aides of Governor Ajimobi. Some commissioners and key stakeholders within the APC are also considering the move. The discussions are ongoing, and November is being looked at for the defection,” the source said.
Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning under the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, has emerged as the APM’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election. He previously served as Ajimobi’s Deputy Chief of Staff before becoming commissioner.
His political emergence has already triggered movement across Oyo’s political landscape.
In July, hundreds of members of the APC, Accord Party and African Democratic Congress (ADC) were reported to have joined the APM at a ceremony in Ibadan. A former chairman of Aare Latosa LCDA, Adekunle Oladeji, also recently dumped the APC for the APM.
The latest development, if it materialises, could represent another significant challenge for the Oyo APC as the party continues its preparations for the 2027 governorship election.
The APC’s governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has already commenced preparations for the election and appointed former Akinyele Local Government chairman, Yemi Aderibigbe, as Director-General of his campaign council.
The reported movement of politicians with links to the Ajimobi political structure to Adekanmbi’s APM could therefore have implications for the balance of political forces in the state.
However, The Nigeria Times could not independently confirm the identities of the individuals allegedly preparing to leave the APC or the exact date of their planned defection as of the time of filing this report.
Efforts to obtain further clarification from the APC and individuals reportedly linked to the development were ongoing as of press time.
If confirmed, the November political movement could further intensify the emerging three-way political contest involving the APC, APM and other major contenders ahead of the 2027 Oyo governorship election.
