A governorship aspirant who participated in the primary under the All Progressive Congress (APC) Adebayo Adelabu has resigned from the ruling party after failing to secure its ticket.
The former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made the disclosure on Sunday.
Adelabu was one of the gubernatorial aspirants who contested the APC primary election on Friday.
Adelabu has, however, said that he has dumped the APC.
The former CBN Deputy Governor, who did not disclose the party where he would join ahead of 2023, said that the APC has been hijacked in the state.
Adelabu, who spoke during an emergency with his followers in Ibadan, said that he will realise his ambition in another political party.
At the meeting where the movement from APC to another yet-to-be announced party was considered, were Senator Ademola Adeseun, former Oyo South senatorial aspirant, Dr. Olusola Ayandele, former APC deputy Chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Chief Goke Oyetunji, Chief Kunle Sanda, former Chairman of Atisbo Local government, Mr. Jacob Ogunmola, former ALGON Chairman, Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye and Mr. Wasiu Ajimobi, a younger brother to immediate past governor, Abiola Ajimobi.
Adelabu said that he is consulting with his followers from the 33 local government areas of the state to know the best political party to realise his ambition in 2023.
He said that he will announce his next political party in the next 48 hours after a meeting with leaders of his group.
Adelabu said, “Since my followers have asked me to leave APC, we have left the APC.
“We will sit down with our leaders to decide on the political party to join. We will come back to APC after winning the gubernatorial election, because we are progressives.
“It worked during the time of late Abiola Ajimobi, he left AC and went to ANPP and later came back to ACN.
“Just give us 48 hours to get back to you to announce the next political party to join.”
The New Diplomat recalls that the Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial district, Teslim Folarin was declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Oyo State.
Folarin defeated the 2019 candidate of the party, Adebayo Adelabu; Akeem Agbaje, Azeez Adeduntan, and Hakeem Alao to pick the party’s ticket.
He scored 954 votes to defeat five other aspirants who contested the election held, on Friday, at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Adelabu, who was his closest challenger, got 327 votes despite being absent at the venue of the election.
Azeez Adeduntan had two votes, Akeem Alao had six votes, Hakeem Agbaje had 16 votes while 11 votes were voided.
By his victory, Folarin will face Seyi Makinde, the state governor who earlier in the week was nominated as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Folarin was the candidate of PDP in the state during the 2015 governorship election, but he lost to the late Abiola Ajimobi, who was the candidate of the APC in the race.
According to reports, Folarin was later persuaded by Ajimobi to join the APC in 2017, with the switched loyalty rewarded with a senatorial ticket.
