By: Advocacy for Strategic Alliance (ASA)
Adebayo Adelabu’s defeat in the Oyo APC governorship primary has raised serious questions about his acceptance within the party and the gap between his public profile and grassroots support.
The former Minister of Power polled 19,193 votes, while Senator Sharafadeen Alli secured 578,143 votes to emerge the party’s candidate. The scale of the margin is significant. It suggests that delegates across Oyo’s 33 local government areas weighed both Adelabu’s record in office and his message to party members during the campaign.
Adelabu resigned as Minister of Power weeks before the primary to pursue the governorship. During his four years in office, he made repeated commitments to stabilize Nigeria’s electricity sector and reduce the country’s dependence on generators. Yet most Nigerians continued to experience erratic power supply, frequent grid collapses, and rising tariffs. For delegates and voters in Oyo, the disconnect between promise and delivery appears to have influenced their choice.
ASA is not celebrating a loss. We are highlighting a pattern. Oyo voters and APC delegates have now rejected Adelabu’s governorship bid twice – first in 2019 and again in 2026. When a candidate fails to gain traction across two cycles, it points to a deeper issue of trust, strategy, and delivery that cannot be explained away by allegations of irregularities alone.
If Adelabu intends to remain relevant in Oyo politics, he needs to address three critical areas:
1. Accountability on Power: Nigerians deserve a clear, verifiable report card on what was achieved during his tenure as Minister of Power. Specific projects, timelines, funds spent, and measurable outcomes should be placed in the public domain for scrutiny.
2. Rebuilding Engagement with the Base: A 19,193-vote showing signals a disconnect with APC structures at the ward and local government level. Rebuilding that trust requires consistent engagement, not just election-season appearances.
3. A Credible Policy Plan for Oyo: The state needs practical solutions on power, jobs, agriculture, and infrastructure. Voters are looking for candidates whose proposals are backed by data, partnerships, and a track record of delivery, not just political rhetoric.
Now that Senator Sharafadeen Alli has emerged as the APC flag bearer for the 2026 governorship election, the contest in Oyo State demands a credible, viable, and popular candidate who can match the weight of the moment. The people of Oyo deserve more than recycled political appointments.
It is unreasonable to expect someone who, after four years as Minister of Power, could not guarantee 24-hour stable electricity for Oyo State or for Nigeria at large, to be entrusted with the future of the state. A record of unfulfilled promises on power at the national level does not inspire confidence in managing a state as complex and demanding as Oyo.
People of such caliber cannot be trusted with the mandate to govern Oyo for a better tomorrow. What is required now is a candidate who truly understands the struggles of the masses, who has earned their trust on the ground, and who can present a clear plan to confront the challenges of electricity, unemployment, agriculture, and infrastructure.
The 2026 election must be about substance over slogans. The people of Oyo deserve a contest where the APC candidate faces a credible opponent rooted in the realities of the masses, not someone whose political career has been defined by appointment rather than proven delivery.
For Adelabu, the lesson is straightforward. Politics rewards performance and sustained trust. Without both, even a strong media campaign and national profile will fall short at the ballot box. The delegates have spoken. The path forward requires listening, reassessing, and returning with a more substantive agenda.
Signed:
Advocacy for Strategic Alliance, ASA
