2027: 3,000 Oyo State Accord Members Defect to APM, Declare Support for Makinde, Adekanmbi

…As Defectors cite internal crises, court cases in Accord, pledge support for Makinde’s continuity agenda.

No fewer than 3,000 members of the Accord Party in Oyo State have defected to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), pledging their support for Governor Seyi Makinde and the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The defectors, reportedly drawn from all 33 local government areas of the state, formally joined the APM on Friday at a ceremony held at the party’s secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.

Speaking at the event, the Oyo State APM Chairman, Otunba Peter Fagbenro, described the development as a sign of the party’s growing strength, insisting that the party remained united and had no faction at either the state or national level.

Fagbenro urged the new and existing members to close ranks, intensify grassroots mobilisation and work towards securing victory for the party at the polls.

He also encouraged eligible residents who were yet to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards to do so, describing the cards as their instrument of political power.

Welcoming the defectors, the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Makinde, Hon. Kazeem Adeniyi, alongside Hon. Wasiu Adeleke, assured them of full integration into the party, saying their decision to join the APM would provide an opportunity to pursue their political aspirations.

They urged the new members to work with other party stakeholders to ensure the success of all APM candidates, expressing confidence that the party would continue to promote prosperity and development in the state.

Also speaking, the APM deputy governorship candidate in Oyo State, Hon. Mufutau Open Salawu, described the defection as a significant boost to the party’s electoral strength, urging the new members to remain committed to the party’s agenda despite possible disagreements.

Salawu, who emphasised the importance of unity across the state’s 351 wards, called on the defectors to support Governor Makinde’s continuity agenda, assuring them that an APM administration would not disappoint the people of Oyo State.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, a former Accord Party leader in the state, Hon. Philip Olasupo, attributed their decision to leave the party to the prolonged court cases and internal crises confronting Accord less than 75 days before the election.

Olasupo said the defectors were unwilling to remain in a party facing uncertainties ahead of the polls, adding that they had chosen the APM because of their confidence in its electoral prospects and their belief in Governor Makinde’s record in infrastructure and human capital development.

He disclosed that the group comprised more than 3,000 members from the 33 local government areas, including state executive members and youth leaders.

The defectors were formally received into the APM by a party chieftain and former Oyo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Dayo Ogungbenro.

The development is expected to strengthen the APM’s grassroots structure as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.