We Couldn’t Pretend Anymore – APM Chieftains Defect To APC

More than 1,000 members of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors formally joined the APC during an event at the party’s state secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, on Friday.

They were led into the APC by Hon. Mustapha Kazeem, popularly known as Oba Oluyole, and were received by the Oyo State APC Chairman, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, alongside other members of the state executive committee.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Kazeem said their decision followed experiences they had encountered while supporting Governor Seyi Makinde.

He alleged that the governor had failed to adequately recognise the loyalty and sacrifices of some of his political supporters, while also accusing members of Makinde’s political structure in Oluyole of victimising members of his group.

According to him, the alleged experiences eventually convinced them to leave the APM and join the APC.

Kazeem said, “It came to a point that we could not pretend again and this made us to see the light in the progressive fold.”

He described the APC as a platform capable of accommodating their political interests, while alleging that the APM had become closely associated with the Makinde administration.

Kazeem further declared that the defectors were no longer willing to remain in what he described as “deceit and propaganda,” adding that “enough is enough.”

The Chairman of the APC in Oluyole Local Government Area, Dotun Oladipupo, subsequently presented the new members to Adeyemo.

Receiving the defectors, Adeyemo presented brooms to them as a symbol of their formal admission into the APC.

He urged the new members to put their previous political differences aside and participate actively in the programmes and activities of the party.

Adeyemo also said the APC provided a platform for the defectors to participate in what he described as the party’s “Renewed Hope” project.

The defection comes as political activities continue to intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, with parties and political actors positioning themselves for the contest.

Meanwhile, an APM chieftain, Oluwaseun Adeloro, has said opposition parties still have an opportunity to unite behind a single candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Adeloro made the comment during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday.

He argued that opposition politicians should continue considering a coalition despite the separate presidential ambitions of major opposition figures.

“I see the 2027 general election not as a sprint. I see it as a marathon race,” he said.

“We still have October; we still have November. They can still come together, if indeed they are sincere about rescuing Nigeria.”

Adeloro said he supported Governor Seyi Makinde as a possible consensus candidate, while acknowledging that other major opposition contenders might not be prepared to withdraw their ambitions.

He specifically mentioned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, saying, “Obi will not agree to that, and Abubakar will not agree to that.”

Defending Makinde’s proposal to “reset” Nigeria within four years if elected president, Adeloro said such an objective could be achieved within one term.

“It is possible in four years,” he said.

“Nigeria is like we are standing on a cliff; any slight tilt can be fatal, and that is the truth.”

Adeloro also criticised the management of Nigeria’s oil revenues, arguing that the country had not maintained sufficient savings for future needs.

“We’ve once had a president that saved money, sovereign wealth; we’ve had the Petroleum Trust Fund specially for it, but everything is being shared now, and you cannot control it,” he said.

“Nothing is working in Nigeria. You have to be on the streets to know it.