In a major move to solidify its ranks ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted a powerful 14-member reconciliation committee. The high-level panel is tasked with uniting the party’s ranks following the recent conclusion of its primary elections.
The committee will be co-chaired by two prominent political veterans: Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, a former Oyo South Senator and the 2019 African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, and Professor Taoheed Adedoja, a former Minister of Sports and Special Duties who has previously flown the governorship flags for both the DPN and ACN.
The primary mandate of the committee is to engage and reconcile all eleven governorship aspirants who contested the party’s primaries, which ultimately saw the emergence of Senator Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli as the APC flagbearer for the 2027 Oyo State governorship election.
Beyond the primary contenders, the committee will also engage other key stakeholders, including Senator Teslim Folarin, the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, whom leadership described as a distinguished and vital party stalwart.
A Star-Studded Lineup for Peace
The 14-member committee features an array of highly influential political figures from across Oyo State’s zones. The members include:
- Chief Mrs. Oluwakemi Alao-Akala (Wife of the late former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala)
- Prof. Afolabi Oladapo (Former Head of Service of the Federation)
- Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi (Former Postmaster General of the Federation)
- Rt. Hon. Olagunju Ojo (Former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly)
- Sen. Brimo Yusuf (Retired Brigadier General and former Oyo North Senator)
- Sen. Hosea Ayoola Agboola (Former Senate Deputy Chief Whip)
- Dr. Felicia Adekemi Opatunde (Oyo State APC Women Leader)
- Alhaji Abubakar Adejare Gbadamosi (Prominent Oke-Ogun political leader)
- Pa Timothy Jolaoso (Respected Progressive elder and former Commissioner in the old Oyo State)
- Alhaji Isiaka Alimi (Former Vice-Chairman of the party)
- Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe (Iddo LG party chieftain)
- Engr. Idris Adegboyega Adeoye (Renowned grassroots mobilizer)
Seeking a United Front
In a joint statement issued by the Oyo APC Chairman, Dr. Moses Alake Adeyemo, and the State Secretary, Barrister Fatai Adesina, the party leadership stressed that forging a united front is non-negotiable if the party hopes to reclaim the state.
“We all know that a divided house cannot stand together to undertake the herculean task of winning an election,” the statement read. “The party strongly counts on your experience and pedigree to resolve all issues amicably. Winning the election will open doors to greater opportunities for the party and the people.”
According to insider sources, the reconciliation drive has received the explicit blessings of the APC national leadership and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who remains highly appreciative of the massive voter turnout Oyo State delivered for him during the 2023 presidential polls.
The party has also disclosed that the reconciliation mechanism will not stop at the executive level; similar panels will soon be set up to address grievances among National Assembly and State House of Assembly aspirants. The formal inauguration of the Lanlehin-Adedoja committee is expected to take place in the coming days.
