Oyo 2023: Adelabu Defects To SDP Over Loss Of Ticket To Teslim Folarin

By Akinwale Kasali

Adebayo Adelebu, popularly known as Penkelemesi, has defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

His defection is not unconnected to his loss of the Governorship ticket of the APC for the upcoming 2023 Oyo State Governorship election.

He lost the ticket at the Governorship Primaries to Senator Teslim Folarin, a serving Senator, who was a one-time Senate Leader when he was in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He later defected to the APC.

Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, surprisingly resigned from the CBN and opted for politics. However, since his resignation, he has not fared well in politics.

Folarin was declared winner of the APC Governorship primary in Oyo State after defeating Adebayo who was  the APC flagbearer during the 2019 Governorship Election in the State.

To clinch the ticket, Folarin defeated Adelabu and four others – Akeem Agbaje, Azeez Adeduntan, and Hakeem Alao.

He scored a total of 954 votes on Friday, at the Primaries which held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Adelabu, who was his closest challenger, got 327 votes despite being absent at the venue of the election.

Following Adelabu’s failure to clinch the Party’s ticket, he has dumped the APC and joined the Social Democratic Party, SDP, to actualize his Governorship ambition.

Political analysts, however, said he is not likely to achieve his ambition to govern the State.

He faces a tough battle with the incumbent Governor, PDP’s Seyi Makinde, and now APC’s Folarin.