24/07/2026
“ADELABU, AJIBOYE AKANDE NOT JOINING APM” — MEDIA AIDE
“The rumour that Chief Adebayo Adelabu is preparing to leave the APC, or that his Personal Assistant, Mr. Ajiboye Akande, has defected to the APM, is nothing but a lie from the pit of hell.”
The Media Assistant to Chief Adelabu, Comrade Femi Awogboro, said this in a statement issued in Ibadan while reacting to insinuations arising from visits by some former APC members who recently joined the APM to Mr. Akande, either in Nigeria or abroad.
According to him, “Personal visits by former associates cannot be misconstrued as political defection. Ajiboye Akande has neither joined the APM nor indicated any intention to do so.”
He added that although Mr. Akande commands a significant section of Chief Adelabu's political support base, especially among youths, artisans and market women, he remains loyal to his principal and would not take any major political decision unilaterally.
“Chief Adebayo Adelabu remains a loyal member of the APC. He is not a desperate politician, and his governorship aspiration is not a do-or-die affair. His aspiration is simply an opportunity to serve a larger segment of his people after a distinguished career in both the private and public sectors,” the statement said.
The Media Aide further stressed that demanding fairness, transparency and due process within the APC does not amount to disloyalty or an invitation to defect.
“Chief Adelabu has served as a Minister under an APC administration and previously flew the party's flag as its 2019 gubernatorial candidate. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Leader of the APC and his political mentor, remains a major influence in his political journey,” he said.
He urged the public to disregard what he described as “a false, mischievous and politically contrived rumour,” insisting that neither Ajiboye Akande nor Chief Adebayo Adelabu is joining the APM.
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