Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has predicted a sweeping victory for the party in the 2027 general elections as an ally of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, Ajiboye Sangogade, defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Makinde made the declaration on Monday at the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert held at the Open Tennis Court of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The event, organised under the theme “Young, United, Unstoppable”, doubled as a political mobilisation gathering and a formal reception for the defectors into the APM.
Sangogade, popularly known as Boye Nation, is a former personal assistant and loyalist of Adelabu. He led supporters drawn from several local government areas of Oyo State into the APM.
Speaking at the event, Makinde said he was confident of victory for the party, attributing its prospects to what he described as the backing of God, the people of Oyo State and Nigerians.
“God has signed off on what we are doing, and that is why it is raining. Today, we are welcoming thousands of APC members into the APM, and this shows that our victory is only a matter of time. We will win massively in all elections in 2027,” he said.
Makinde also turned his attention to the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, urging him to concentrate on the APM governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, rather than criticising his administration.
The governor repeated his earlier criticism of Alli’s legal career, describing him as an unsuccessful lawyer and challenging the APC candidate to point to professional recognition in his field.
Makinde contrasted Alli’s legal career with his own engineering background and Adekanmbi’s accounting credentials.
“I am an engineer and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, meaning I have excelled in my chosen career,” he said, adding that Adekanmbi is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
The governor also responded to criticism over the use of diesel-powered generators to operate some streetlights in Oyo State, despite his background as an engineer.
He argued that the situation would have been different if the federal government had resolved Nigeria’s electricity challenges, recalling President Bola Tinubu’s campaign pledge concerning the country’s power supply.
“If he had fulfilled that promise, we would not be powering streetlights with diesel,” Makinde said.
Makinde urged Alli to focus on persuading voters to support the APC rather than attacking his administration, while expressing confidence that Oyo residents would back the APM candidate.
The political gathering followed earlier mobilisation efforts by Boye Nation and the JAF Movement, which had announced the September 21 concert as a platform for youth engagement, entertainment and the formal declaration of the movement for the APM.
