In a move reeking of desperation and sheer political recklessness, the Minister of Power, Hon. Adebayo Adelabu, has reportedly hijacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) delegate election and primary process for the forthcoming Ibadan North Federal Constituency bye-election, a development that has sparked outrage among party faithful and political observers alike.

Credible information from party insiders confirms that Adelabu is working behind the scenes to impose one Mr.Wale Olatunji Murphy as the APC candidate through undemocratic means and brazen manipulation. By attempting to circumvent due process and sideline the will of the people, Adelabu is not only insulting the party’s internal democratic structure but also setting fire to its fragile unity.

This is nothing short of political jagba; an act of imposition, betrayal, and executive arrogance that the same Adelabu condemned and in the last general election in the state. And if the APC leadership, both at the state and national level, fail to call Adelabu to order, then they must be ready to bear the consequences of a looming disaster, not just in the bye-election, but in the crucial 2027 general elections.

Let it be made clear, the people of Ibadan North are politically conscious and cannot be hoodwinked by backdoor maneuvers. Any candidate who emerges through such tainted means will be vehemently rejected by the electorate, on the ballot and beyond.

It is shocking that a man who parades himself as a potential governorship aspirant for 2027 would stoop so low as to deploy crude tactics in a local bye-election. What kind of governor does Adelabu hope to be if his path to power is paved with treachery, exclusion, and manipulation?

The APC is at a critical crossroads. The Ibadan North bye-election is not just a constituency contest, it is a referendum on the party’s integrity, its commitment to internal democracy, and its preparedness for 2027. If impunity like this is allowed to prevail, then the party should forget victory in any serious election.

Let no one be deceived: Hon. Bayo Adelabu’s political playbook is toxic, self-serving, and dangerous for the future of APC in Oyo State. The silence of party stakeholders in the face of this attempted electoral robbery would amount to complicity.

The time to resist and reject this hijack is now. Party supremacy must prevail over individual ambition. Otherwise, Adelabu’s hijack may well be the iceberg that sinks the APC ship long before 2027 even begins.