By Adegboyega Adeleye
The 2027 governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has denied responsibility for allegations surrounding N30 billion said to have gone missing during his time as Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning under the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Adekanmbi, who served as Commissioner for Finance in the Ajimobi administration, said the allegation should be separated from the Oyo State Ministry of Finance, insisting that the money in question concerned local government and that he had no involvement in the meetings where the alleged transactions took place.
Revisiting the issue on Tuesday on Arise News’ The Morning Show, the former commissioner maintained that the alleged transactions being referred to were outside his responsibility, stressing that he was never part of the Joint Accounts Committee (JAC) meetings.
He said: “The 30 billion, I didn’t say it got missing. You must separate the Oyo State Government from the local government. The money went missing in local government. I never attended one JAC meeting. The money is there, the records are there, the resignations should focus on local government of which I have absolutely no impact, none at all.”
Adekanmbi’s comments come against the backdrop of renewed attention to his record in government as he seeks to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde in 2027.
Vanguard had previously reported that Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance under Ajimobi, emerged as the APM governorship candidate for the 2027 election. The party affirmed his candidacy at its governorship primary in Ibadan in May.
Beyond the N30 billion issue, Adekanmbi also addressed his political relationship with Makinde and his position on the 2027 presidential election and his plans to support Seyi Makinde’s presidential bid.
On his emergence as the APM governorship candidate and suggestions that Makinde personally imposed him on the party, Adekanmbi said there was a process involving consultations across the state.
“The governor did not just sit down in his office and drop a list. There was a process leading to the emergence of all the candidates,” he said.
“There were public consultations and public engagements, with input from every sector and region of Oyo State. The governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates all emerged by consensus,” he added.
Adekanmbi said the process did not trigger the internal crisis predicted by some political observers.
“And as you can see, there has been no rancour as such in the party. There were a lot of doomsday predictions that once this happens, the party will implode and explode but none of that has happened,” he said.
On his decision to campaign on the continuity of Makinde’s administration under the “Omituntun 3.0” agenda, Adekanmbi rejected suggestions that this made him the governor’s surrogate.
“The second one, why am I saying Omituntun 3.0, am I a surrogate? I’m no surrogate to Governor Makinde. Governor Makinde has made it clear at many fora that ‘Bimbo, don’t inherit my enemies or liabilities; go and chart your own part,’” he said.
He also recalled an occasion where he said Makinde publicly urged people to support his governorship bid, while insisting that he would remain responsible for his own decisions if elected.
“The second time, at the last Hijra, he said to people who sat there that Bimbo is going to be your next governor, vote him. I will not make a call on anybody’s behalf to Bimbo and for me, I’m owning every action I take as governor as I’ve always owned actions in my life, so I own it. I am prepared, I have my own manifesto and strategy,” Adekanmbi said.
Adekanmbi, who has worked under different Oyo governors, also reflected on the experience he gained from the administrations of former governors Rashidi Ladoja, the late Abiola Ajimobi and Makinde.
“If I’m going to be a third term, I’ll be second term to Governor Akala, second term to Ladoja, third term to Governor Ajimobi, and third term to Seyi Makinde,” he said.
“I have been able to learn from the four of them and gotten insights on their strengths and weaknesses,” he added.
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