Amanze Chinonye
Adebayo Adelabu left Abuja for Ibadan with a conviction that politics had already cleared his path.
The former Minister of Power resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, returned to Oyo State, and re-entered the APC governorship race with a familiar political phrase hanging over his ambition: Emilokan – it is my turn.
Months before his resignation, Adelabu had framed his governorship ambition in that language of entitlement and expectation. In Oyo APC circles, the declaration was read in two ways: as confidence rooted in persistence, and as a political forecast that assumed party structure would eventually bend in his favour.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIt did not.
What followed was a direct primary, a disputed result, and numbers that have turned internal party politics into an argument about arithmetic itself.
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A Primary, a Winner, and Competing Realities
The APC direct primary, held on Thursday, produced Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the governorship candidate in Oyo State.
Party officials described the exercise as largely peaceful, orderly, and a demonstration of internal unity. Alli was said to have dominated across most local government areas and wards in the state.
On paper, the outcome was decisive: Alli won, Adelabu lost.
But immediately after the declaration, the result stopped being a conclusion and became a dispute over meaning.
In circulated summaries, Alli was said to have polled about 576,000 votes, while Adelabu trailed far behind. Adelabu’s camp rejected the figures outright, arguing they were impossible within the APC’s registered membership base in Oyo State.
The Numbers Dispute
Former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has now intensified his challenge to the outcome, insisting that the figures being circulated are inaccurate and structurally impossible.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Comrade Femi Awogboro, Adelabu claimed that the total number of registered APC members in Oyo State is fewer than 500,000, and specifically put the figure at 153,640.
He dismissed claims that Senator Alli secured over 500,000 votes, describing the figure as misleading and inconsistent with the party’s actual membership strength.
Adelabu also urged party members to await the official declaration of results, warning against premature conclusions.
The statement further insisted that he enjoys strong grassroots support across the state, citing ongoing collation from ward-level structures.
“Those in charge of the results need to be careful and not to be used by anyone to truncate or alter the results because it is already clear to us from what we are collating from each ward,” the statement read.
That intervention has added a new layer to an already disputed process: not only are the results being questioned, but the numerical foundation of the entire exercise is now under challenge.
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“Emilokan” and the Weight of Expectation
Adelabu’s political journey was framed long before the ballots were cast.
His Emilokan declaration widely interpreted as a claim of political entitlement was meant to signal inevitability. A message that his governorship ambition was not just active, but due.
But in a deeply factionalised Oyo APC, the phrase carried a double edge. To supporters, it reflected persistence and political endurance. To critics, it suggested ambition detached from electoral reality.
The primary outcome now collides directly with that narrative.
Because Emilokan is not only a slogan of ambition. It is a claim of timing. And timing, in politics, is ultimately decided by numbers.
Allegations, Legitimacy, and a Contest That Refuses to End
Adelabu rejected the outcome, alleging widespread irregularities, including early voting in some wards, intimidation of voters, and falsification of results.
Speaking to journalists after voting in his ward, he described the process as compromised and vowed to challenge it through party mechanisms.
Senator Sharafadeen Alli, meanwhile, called for calm and unity, urging APC members to close ranks ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
But beneath the appeals for unity lies a deeper fracture: the party is now managing not only a winner and a loser, but competing versions of what the election actually produced.
One version suggests overwhelming dominance that defies membership logic. Another suggests a structured contest consistent with party registration figures. Between both sits a dispute over credibility itself.
For Adelabu, the battle is no longer only about losing a primary. It is about whether the loss can be defined in a way that is believable.
When “It Is My Turn” Meets the Ballot Box
Adebayo Adelabu entered the Oyo APC governorship race with a declaration of inevitability: Emilokan.
The primary has turned that narrative into a test of political reality.
Senator Sharafadeen Alli has been declared winner. Adelabu has rejected the outcome. And between both positions sits a dispute over figures that has refused to settle into a single accepted truth.
In Oyo APC, the contest is no longer only about who won.
It is about what kind of election produces numbers that different sides cannot reconcile.
And for Adelabu, it is about something more fragile than defeat:
what happens when a campaign built on “it is my turn” collides with a result that insists, in unmistakable terms, that it is not.
Amanze Chinonye is a Staff Correspondent at Prime Business Africa, a rising star in the literary world, weaving captivating stories that transport readers to the vibrant landscapes of Nigeria and the rest of Africa. With a unique voice that blends with the newspaper's tradition and style, Chinonye's writing is a masterful exploration of the human condition, delving into themes of identity, culture, and social justice. Through her words, Chinonye paints vivid portraits of everyday African life, from the bustling markets of Nigeria's Lagos to the quiet villages of South Africa's countryside . With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the complexities of Nigerian society, Chinonye's writing is both a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage and a powerful call to action for a brighter future. As a writer, Chinonye is a true storyteller, using her dexterity to educate, inspire, and uplift readers around the world.
