Oyo PDP Primary Drama: Questions Trail Beulah Adeoye’s Defeat as Gbolarumi Emerges Candidate
Political tension continues to rise within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State following the controversial gubernatorial primary reportedly organized by the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The exercise eventually produced Hazeem Gbolarumi as the factional governorship candidate, but not without generating serious reactions and political questions among party loyalists and observers.
Many supporters and stakeholders have particularly expressed concern over the outcome involving legal practitioner and politician, Beulah Adeoye, popularly known as Amofin Beulah, whose political ambition appeared to suffer a major setback after the primary election.
According to reports circulating within political circles, Beulah Adeoye was allegedly encouraged by Hazeem Gbolarumi himself to obtain the PDP gubernatorial nomination form ahead of the 2027 governorship race in Oyo State. Acting on the encouragement and confidence in the process, Adeoye reportedly proceeded to purchase the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on April 30, 2026.
That move made him the first aspirant within the faction to officially declare interest and complete the nomination process for the governorship race. Political observers at the time viewed the development as a serious indication that Adeoye had secured strong backing within the structure.
However, events later took a dramatic turn when Hazeem Gbolarumi also obtained the same governorship nomination form and eventually contested in the primary election alongside Adeoye and other aspirants.
At the end of the exercise held yesterday, Gbolarumi emerged victorious with over 3,000 votes, while Beulah reportedly secured only 22 votes — a result that has since sparked widespread debate across Oyo political circles and social media platforms.
Several analysts and party supporters have questioned how an aspirant believed to have significant grassroots visibility and political structure within the faction could record such an extremely low vote count after being one of the earliest to openly commit to the race.
The development has also fueled speculations about whether the entire process had been predetermined from the outset or whether internal political negotiations altered the direction of the contest before delegates eventually voted.
Observers have further raised concerns regarding the political alignment of key figures within the Wike-backed faction. Critics point to the fact that some prominent loyalists associated with the camp are allegedly maintaining relationships and political interests within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This has led to questions from many party faithful who wonder why some politicians closely associated with the Wike faction, including Gbolarumi and other notable figures reportedly identified as “Basa,” would choose to obtain nomination forms under the faction despite ongoing internal divisions within the PDP at the national level.
The controversy surrounding the primary also reflects the broader crisis currently affecting the PDP across Nigeria. Since the 2023 general elections, the opposition party has continued to battle internal leadership disputes, factional struggles, and disagreements over party control between camps loyal to different national power blocs.
The political influence of Nyesom Wike within the PDP remains a major source of debate, especially following his working relationship with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu despite officially remaining a member of the PDP.
For many observers in Oyo State, the outcome of the factional primary may further deepen political distrust among loyal party members ahead of the 2027 elections. Some supporters of Beulah Adeoye have already described the exercise as disappointing and politically suspicious, while others insist politics remains a game of strategy, alliances, and numbers.
As reactions continue to trail the exercise, attention will now shift toward whether the factional candidate produced from the primary will gain wider legitimacy within the PDP structure in Oyo State or if fresh disputes and legal battles could emerge in the coming months.
One thing, however, remains clear: the Oyo PDP governorship race has already begun generating intense political drama long before the 2027 election season fully kicks off.
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