The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Abimbola “Bimbo” Adekanmbi, has declared that he is not preparing to govern the state as a surrogate of Governor Seyi Makinde, stressing that he has his own manifesto, strategy and leadership direction.
Adekanmbi made the clarification while explaining the process through which he and other APM candidates emerged ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, Governor Makinde did not simply sit in his office and handpick a list of candidates. Rather, he said, the process involved consultations, public engagements and contributions from different sectors and regions of Oyo State.
> “The governor did not sit in his office and simply drop a list. There was a process that led to the emergence of all the candidates,” Adekanmbi said.
He explained that the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates emerged through consensus following consultations among relevant stakeholders.
The development followed the APM’s adoption of Adekanmbi as its consensus governorship candidate during the party’s primary election in Ibadan in May 2026. The party also ratified its legislative candidates through a similar consensus arrangement.
Adekanmbi’s emergence is closely linked to the political realignment between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to Governor Makinde and the APM ahead of the 2027 election. Makinde has openly described Adekanmbi as his preferred successor and urged him to build on the achievements of the current administration.
However, Adekanmbi said the relationship should not be interpreted as an arrangement in which he would simply inherit Makinde’s political battles or liabilities.
“I’m no surrogate to Governor Makinde. The governor made it clear that I shouldn’t inherit his enemies or liabilities,” he stated.
The former Oyo State commissioner stressed that, while he appreciates Makinde’s support and intends to sustain successful policies of the present administration, he would ultimately take responsibility for his own decisions if elected governor.
“I’m owning every action I take as governor, just as I have always owned my actions in life. I own it, and I’m prepared. I have my own manifesto and strategy,” he added.
The position is significant given Makinde’s earlier public advice to Adekanmbi to “chart his own path” rather than inherit his political enemies. The governor had also advised his preferred successor to improve on the achievements of his administration rather than merely reproduce them.
Adekanmbi has nevertheless positioned his campaign around continuity and further development. At his emergence as the APM candidate, he promised to sustain the “Omituntun” vision while extending development to communities across the state, with emphasis on security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, technology, tourism and economic empowerment.
He later unveiled Engineer Muftau Open-Salawu as his running mate and introduced the campaign mantra “3.0 Continued Development,” signalling an intention to combine continuity with a new phase of governance.
His statewide engagements have also increasingly focused on grassroots consultation. During his “Thank You Tour,” Adekanmbi visited different parts of Oyo State, engaging party leaders, traditional stakeholders, women, youths and community groups while presenting himself as a candidate seeking input from across the state.
With the 2027 governorship contest gradually taking shape, Adekanmbi’s latest comments appear designed to strike a delicate balance: acknowledge Makinde’s political influence and developmental record while establishing his own identity ahead of the election.
For the APM candidate, the message is clear — continuity does not necessarily mean dependency, and support from Makinde does not mean surrendering his own political judgment.
The ultimate test, however, will be whether Adekanmbi can successfully translate that promise of independent leadership into a compelling political and governance agenda capable of winning voters across Oyo State in 2027.
0 Comments