The Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, on Friday engaged in a war of words over leadership capacity, political relevance and performance in office, as political alignments ahead of future elections continue to generate tension in the state.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Chance Doesn’t Win Elections Twice,” the Oyo State PDP Media Team dismissed comments credited to Adelabu at a political gathering in Ibadan, describing them as “rhetoric without records” and a reflection of frustration rather than substance.
The PDP maintained that Governor Seyi Makinde’s electoral victories in 2019 and 2023 were products of competence and performance, not chance. According to the party, “chance does not win elections twice,” nor does it sustain years of public scrutiny, adding that Makinde earned re-election through “verifiable achievements in infrastructure, workers’ welfare, institutional reforms and fiscal discipline.”
The party also revisited Adelabu’s political history, noting that he lost the 2019 governorship election despite controlling the entire structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state at the time, and later failed to retain control of the party. The PDP argued that these developments validated Governor Makinde’s earlier position that Adelabu lacked the capacity to organise and sustain a political structure in Oyo State.
Turning to Adelabu’s role as Minister of Power, the PDP accused him of poor performance, citing persistent national grid collapses, power instability and an electricity tariff regime that, it said, had imposed heavier financial burdens on Nigerians without commensurate improvement in service delivery. The party called on the minister to resign if he intends to pursue his gubernatorial ambition, arguing that his political interests have distracted him from addressing challenges in the power sector.
The PDP further dismissed any comparison between Governor Makinde and Adelabu, insisting that the governor is focused on governance while his critics are preoccupied with “noise and personal attacks.”
However, the Minister of Power fired back, describing the attacks from the PDP and Governor Makinde as “a clear indication of panic and desperation.”
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu said Governor Makinde’s comments that he lacked the capacity to unite the APC were baseless and revealed “deep anxiety” in the face of what he described as a resurgent and united opposition in Oyo State.
“Governor Makinde’s outburst is a projection of his own insecurities,” the statement read. “His anger is driven by the collapse of the political arithmetic that previously worked in his favour.”
Adelabu’s camp argued that the once-divided APC in Oyo State has now become stronger and more cohesive, consolidating around key figures including Adelabu himself, Senator Teslim Folarin and former First Lady of the state, Mrs Florence Ajimobi. According to the statement, this renewed unity has dismantled what it described as the governor’s “only known pathway to victory.”
The minister’s aide also claimed that Makinde’s fear has been heightened by Adelabu’s growing political influence, alleging that some of the governor’s allies are gradually defecting to Adelabu’s camp.
The PDP, however, rejected claims of APC resurgence, pointing to internal divisions that followed the death of former governor and APC leader, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. It argued that Adelabu failed to unite the party when the responsibility fell on him and cited past electoral outcomes, including losses in governorship contests, party defections and the Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election, where the APC reportedly lost all 12 wards under Adelabu’s watch.
Beyond electoral performance, the PDP also questioned Adelabu’s political maturity and leadership temperament, stressing that governance should be about measurable outcomes rather than press statements and personal attacks.
As both camps trade accusations, political observers note that the exchanges signal an early intensification of political rivalry in Oyo State, with both the ruling PDP and the opposition APC positioning themselves for future contests. For now, the electorate appears to be the ultimate judge, as both sides insist that performance — not rhetoric — will determine political fortunes in the state.
