The recent verbal attack on Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power and a leading All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, by Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has been described as a clear indication of panic and desperation. According to Adelabu’s camp, the governor has resorted to personal attacks as his political fortunes continue to dwindle in the face of a resurgent and united opposition.
In a statement issued by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to Chief Adelabu, Makinde’s comments were characterized as the product of insecurity and fear. Tunji noted that the governor’s claims were not only baseless but also revealing of his deep anxiety over the changing political landscape in Oyo State.
“Governor Makinde’s outburst is a projection of his own insecurities,” the statement said. “His anger is driven by the collapse of the political arithmetic that previously worked in his favor. The once-divided APC he exploited for electoral victories is now fully united, stronger, and purpose-driven. This unity, consolidating around influential leaders such as Chief Adelabu, Senator Teslim Folarin, and Her Excellency Florence Ajimobi, has dismantled the governor’s only known pathway to victory.”
Tunji further stated that Makinde’s fear has been heightened by the growing influence of Adelabu, whom the governor had previously dismissed as lacking capacity.
According to him, key allies of the Governor are steadily migrating to Adelabu’s camp. Notably, Senator Hosea Agboola (Halleluyah), described as Makinde’s political benefactor, and the immediate past Commissioner for Works, Professor Raphael Afonja, have reportedly aligned with Adelabu.
“While the Governor boasts of organization, his party, the PDP, is rapidly disintegrating,” the statement added. “Credible leaders, local government chairmen, and grassroots stakeholders are defecting en masse to the APC. They are abandoning a failing ‘organizer’ for the robust platform and promise represented by Chief Adelabu. This mass exodus is a clear referendum on Makinde’s leadership and his worst political nightmare.”
The statement also argued that Makinde’s much-advertised organizational prowess has merely reduced the once-formidable PDP he inherited to a weakened version under his ‘Omi Tuntun’ banner, far removed from the broad coalition that brought him to power.
Tunji further suggested that the governor’s political anxiety is underpinned by lingering personal resentment. He recalled that Makinde has not recovered from the embarrassment of having his ministerial nominee rejected by the Presidency in favor of Chief Adelabu.
“That moment was a clear verdict on competence and value,” he said.
“While Makinde promoted a loyalist, the nation’s leadership opted for proven capacity. His present outbursts are the aftertaste of that enduring slight.”
Addressing the issue of capacity, the statement maintained that Adelabu’s credentials far outweigh those of the governor. It highlighted Adelabu’s strong academic background and extensive experience across both private and public sectors. His career trajectory includes senior executive roles at Standard Chartered Bank, serving as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of First Bank, tenure as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and his current position as a Federal Minister.
Beyond public service, Adelabu’s investments in real estate and hospitality in Oyo State were described as trailblazing, opening doors for subsequent investors, including Makinde and his associates.
The statement noted that Adelabu achieved these milestones at a relatively young age, at a time when Makinde had yet to demonstrate comparable vision or impact.
The aide also accused Makinde of opportunism, stating that his rise to power in 2019 was largely due to divisions within the APC and a broad coalition of other governorship candidates who rallied behind him.
Many of those figures, including Senator Femi Lanlehin and Senator Sharafadeen Alli, have since returned to the APC, a development said to have intensified the governor’s apprehension about his political future.
The statement concluded by urging Governor Makinde to focus on governance rather than name-calling. “He would be better served addressing the growing insecurity marked by kidnappings in Ibadan, rising debt, and the lack of tangible development that have come to define his administration,” Tunji said.
“The people of Oyo State are discerning and can see a faltering government lashing out at a competent successor on the horizon.
“Chief Adelabu remains focused on his national responsibilities and the mission to reposition Oyo State, undistracted by the fading echoes of a nervous Governor.”
