* Reaffirms Adegoke as guber candidate
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned a governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Mr. Gbemileke Alagbe, and other aggrieved members against actions capable of causing confusion within the party.
This is just as it reaffirmed Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke as its governorship candidate for the 2027 general election in the state.
The Deputy National Financial Secretary of the party, Oladimeji Fabiyi, who made the call while speaking with journalists in Ibadan, urged Alagbe and other aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and support Adegoke to secure victory for the party in the 2027 governorship election.
He said the party’s leadership recognised Adegoke as its bona fide candidate, having emerged from a primary election conducted by the party and recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said: “The ADC has succeeded in presenting credible people to represent the party in the coming elections, and Oyo State inclusive. We had primaries that produced who to represent the party.
“For instance, in Oyo State, we had primaries that produced Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke as the candidate for the governorship. So, we went through direct primaries and members of the party chose him to represent them in the next election in 2027.”
On the chances of the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the 2027 presidential election, he described the former vice-president as an experienced politician capable of addressing Nigeria’s economic and developmental challenges.
Fabiyi dismissed what he described as rumours about Atiku’s credibility, citing his record in government and his opposition to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term bid.
He said Atiku had appeared before the courts 21 times in opposition to the third-term agenda and won the cases without compromising the judiciary.
He also credited Atiku with contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth while serving as chairman of the Economic Council and with the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector.
“Today the GSM that people are using to abuse this same Atiku, he revolutionised it. And every time Atiku is running for presidency, he will tell you what he wants to do and how he’s going to do it. He has started again,” he said.
Fabiyi also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approach to economic reforms, alleging that the president avoided debates in 2023 and had subsequently introduced policies he described as “policy somersaults”.
He specifically cited the removal of the petrol subsidy as one of the policies he criticised.