A coalition of concerned youths in Oyo State has criticized former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, accusing him of actions capable of deepening divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The group, in a statement issued after a meeting in Ibadan on Wednesday evening, expressed concern over what it described as the former minister’s “divisive conduct” since leaving office.
According to the statement signed by the group’s spokesperson, Mr. Damola Agbaje, Adelabu allegedly resorted to threats through associates following what the group described as a stalled political campaign.
The youths also alleged that during a sponsored endorsement event held in Adelabu’s local government area, some supporters disrespected the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, while making derogatory comments against senior APC leaders in Oyo State.
The statement further accused Adelabu of fueling disunity within the party since obtaining the APC nomination form, claiming his actions reflected an “if it is not me, the party must scatter” attitude.
The group referenced Adelabu’s reported defection to the Accord Party during the 2023 elections, alleging that he campaigned against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the time.
They urged the former minister to focus on presenting a clear agenda to Oyo voters and to account for his performance while serving as Minister of Power.
The coalition also revisited the prolonged power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), alleging that appeals made to Adelabu during his tenure were ignored.
“As a group, we will not support Chief Adelabu’s ambition,” the statement noted, adding that the unresolved electricity crisis at UCH allegedly contributed to avoidable deaths.
The youths also questioned Adelabu’s recent alignment with political blocs associated with the late former governor, Abiola Ajimobi, and Senator Teslim Folarin, despite allegedly distancing himself from those groups in the past.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to supporting any APC candidate endorsed by party elders in the forthcoming election — excluding Adelabu.
