Makinde Reportedly Holds Crisis Meetings as 32 APM Chieftains Defect to APC
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has reportedly begun holding meetings with members of his cabinet and key political stakeholders following a series of defections from the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The development comes amid growing political realignments in the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with several prominent politicians and former government officials reportedly leaving the governor’s political camp.
The latest wave of defections occurred in Ogbomoso, where former Chief of Staff to the governor, Segun Ogunwuyi, led 32 other APM chieftains into the APC.
Other prominent defectors include Rasak Gbadegesin, popularly known as Agbeti; Timothy Oyeniyi; Alabi Olateju; Isaiah Adegbite; Peter Oyetunji; and Jimoh Sikiru, alongside other political figures and local government representatives from Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Surulere and Ogo-Oluwa.
The defections follow the resignation of some government officials, including the former Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ayobami Oluwaseun Ojo, and the ministry’s Special Adviser, Simeon Adegbola Oyeleke, who both left their positions effective November 2.
Other reported departures include Sunday Olugbenga Falana from the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission and the Director-General of the Due Process Office, Tara Adefope.
Several political figures previously associated with the governor’s camp, including former Deputy Governor Taofeek Arapaja, Hosea Agboola and Alhaji Bisi Olopoeniyan, have also been linked to the ongoing political realignments.
According to reports, the growing number of departures has prompted Governor Makinde to engage remaining loyalists, aggrieved party leaders and members of his cabinet in discussions aimed at addressing the situation and strengthening the party’s political structure.
Sources cited in the reports claim that some of the meetings, reportedly held at the governor’s residences in Ibadan, focused on the reasons behind the defections and concerns surrounding the selection of Adekanmbi as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
However, the governor’s Chief of Staff, Bashorun Akinwale Akinwole, has played down the political implications of the departures, describing the defectors as a minority and maintaining that the APM retains substantial support in Ogbomoso.
The developments come as political activities and realignments intensify across Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.