Fresh political intrigue is brewing in Oyo State as Ajiboye Akande, popularly known as Boye Nation and personal assistant to former Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, is set to formally join the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) alongside some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on September 22.
Akande’s planned movement is already generating mixed reactions across the political landscape, particularly because of his close association with Adelabu and his role within the former minister’s political structure.
What has made the development more intriguing, however, is Adelabu’s earlier categorical denial of any plan to leave the APC for the APM.
In July, his media aide, Femi Awogboro, said neither Adelabu nor Akande had any intention of joining the APM and described reports suggesting otherwise as false and mischievous.
Adelabu also reaffirmed his commitment to the APC and expressed continued loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as his political mentor.
His camp stressed that the former minister believed in the party and respected its leadership despite his disappointment with aspects of the political process.
Akande’s impending defection therefore raises a significant political question: is Boye Nation acting independently, or is his movement an early indication of a deeper political realignment within Adelabu’s camp?
For political watchers in the state, the timing is particularly noteworthy. Adelabu lost the APC governorship primary held in May to Senator Sarafadeen Alli, after polling 19,193 votes against Alli’s declared 578,143 votes, while Senator Buhari came second with 37,265 votes.
Adelabu subsequently raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the exercise.
Although the APC has since moved forward with Alli as its governorship candidate and set efforts in motion to reconcile all aggrieved members, questions over the unity of the party’s structure in Oyo have continued to linger.
For some observers, Akande’s decision could be interpreted as an indication that not everyone within Adelabu’s political family is prepared to simply move on from the contentious primary.
Others, however, caution against reading too much into the development, pointing out that a political aide’s defection does not automatically translate into the defection of his principal.
Adelabu has, after all, publicly maintained that he remains an APC member and committed to the Tinubu project.
Yet, another school of thought is beginning to entertain a more intriguing possibility — that Adelabu could remain formally within the APC while his political allies explore other platforms and alliances ahead of 2027.
Such a scenario would not necessarily mean an immediate open confrontation with the party. Rather, it could create a situation in which Adelabu retains his APC membership while a section of his political structure operates outside the party, potentially giving him room to preserve his options as the 2027 political calculations become clearer.
That possibility is what makes Akande’s planned move particularly significant.
Boye Nation is not being viewed merely as an ordinary party member crossing over to another platform. His association with Adelabu means his movement is likely to be interpreted through the prism of the former minister’s political ambitions and the unresolved tensions surrounding the APC governorship primary.
APM, meanwhile, has been positioning itself as one of the platforms seeking relevance in the emerging 2027 political realignment in Oyo State. Any influx of APC members, particularly those connected to influential political actors, could give the party additional visibility and bargaining power.
There is also the wider question of whether Adelabu’s political influence can remain intact if members of his support base begin moving in different directions.
Political structures built around personalities are often tested after a major electoral setback, especially when expectations surrounding a coveted ticket are not met.
For the APC, the challenge may therefore extend beyond Akande’s individual decision.
For the APC, the challenge may therefore extend beyond Akande’s individual decision.
Party leaders will have to determine whether the development represents an isolated movement or a symptom of deeper dissatisfaction among supporters of the former minister.
Adelabu’s history makes the issue even more delicate. He previously left the APC for the Accord Party after losing the party’s 2022 governorship primary, before returning to the APC and serving as Minister of Power under President Tinubu.
His latest defeat in the 2026 APC governorship contest has consequently revived speculation about his next political move.
For now, Adelabu remains in the APC and has publicly rejected suggestions that he is heading for the APM. But with his close aide, Ajiboye Akande, now reportedly preparing to cross over, the political message coming out of the Adelabu camp has become considerably more complicated.
Whether Boye Nation’s move is simply a personal political decision or the opening chapter of a broader realignment may become clearer after September 22.
Until then, Oyo APC may have to watch closely, because in politics, the first person to leave is not always the last person to move.
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