…Accuses Makinde of abandoning Atiku in 2023
By Salam Saheed
A chieftain of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Alhaji Adebisi Aremu Olopoeyan, has declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, citing his longstanding relationship with the President.
Olopoeyan made the declaration on Monday while receiving a business mogul, Engr. Dotun Jubril Sanusi, during a courtesy visit to his residence in the Ikolaba area of Basorun, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The APM chieftain said his decision to support Tinubu was informed by his longstanding relationship with the President, adding that he was prepared to back his re-election bid.
He described cross-party political support as a familiar feature of Nigeria’s political landscape, citing Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as an example of a politician who, according to him, had supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election despite belonging to a different political party.
Olopoeyan recalled that Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had supported the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 election but later allegedly pitched his tent with Tinubu.
He argued that political actors had the right to support candidates of their choice based on personal convictions, maintaining that cross-party alliances were not new in Nigerian politics.
The APM chieftain’s declaration comes amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the positions of prominent political figures expected to shape the contest in Oyo State and beyond.
Speaking during the visit, Sanusi criticised Makinde over what he described as the governor’s failure to fulfil promises made to those who supported his political ambitions.
The business mogul accused the governor of disappointing some of his political supporters, arguing that his conduct had raised questions about his commitment to promises made during his political engagements.