Ex-Power Minister claims figures were altered and voting held ahead of schedule in several wards

Former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has accused officials of manipulating results and engaging in widespread electoral misconduct during the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Oyo State.

Adelabu, a frontline aspirant in the race, made the allegations on Thursday after casting his vote at his polling unit, warning that the exercise in several wards fell short of acceptable standards.

While noting that the process appeared orderly at his polling unit, the former minister said reports from other parts of the state painted a troubling picture.

“I must sound this note of warning that it is not this way in a lot of other wards,” he said. “Reports reaching me indicate gross misconduct, with various forms of infractions. In some wards, voting was conducted hours before the scheduled time, and figures were simply written to suit certain interests.”

Adelabu, who recently stepped down from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to pursue his governorship ambition, stressed that such irregularities could undermine the credibility of the primary.

The APC is currently conducting its primaries across Oyo State to select its flagbearer for the 2027 governorship election. However, Adelabu’s claims have cast a shadow over the process, raising fresh concerns about transparency and internal party democracy.

As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State APC leadership had not issued any official response to the allegations.