INSIDE DETAILS: “I Advised You Against Resigning…” — Ajimobi Confronts Adelabu at High-Stakes Abuja Meeting
Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Austria and immediate past First Lady of Oyo State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, on Sunday revealed that she had cautioned former Minister, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, against stepping down from office, an intervention that now casts fresh light on unfolding political realignments ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
Adelabu, who is set to formally exit his ministerial position on Tuesday, April 30, 2026, was among key stakeholders at a closed-door meeting convened by Mrs Ajimobi at her Abuja residence.
The strategic gathering brought together former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, and prominent party chieftain, Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, who is widely regarded as a leading figure among progressives in Oyo State.
Sources familiar with the deliberations described the meeting as both candid and tense, as discussions centred on forging a unified front within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to shape the party’s governorship ticket for 2027.
At the heart of the talks was a shared concern among the power bloc over the rising profile of incumbent Oyo South Senator, Barrister Sharafadeen Alli, who is increasingly viewed as the frontrunner for the party’s ticket.
Mrs Ajimobi, who had only just returned from the United Kingdom for a retreat of newly designated ambassadors, reportedly used the opportunity to rally the stakeholders toward consensus.
The meeting, however, exposed underlying rivalries and competing ambitions.
In what insiders described as a defining moment, Senator Folarin, who had previously advocated that the ticket be zoned between himself and Adelabu shifted his position, arguing that his seniority, being seven years older, should weigh in his favour as the party’s standard-bearer.
Adelabu, however, stood his ground.
According to sources, he insisted that his governorship ambition spans years of political investment and personal sacrifice, stressing that his resignation from ministerial office was a calculated move driven solely by that aspiration.
It was at this juncture that Mrs Ajimobi reportedly addressed him directly, stating: “I advised you against resigning.”
The remark, delivered pointedly, underscored the depth of her reservations about his decision and the risks it posed.
As the exchanges grew firmer, Mrs Ajimobi was said to have briefly excused herself from the session, leaving the trio to continue discussions behind closed doors.
Further indications suggest that although the quartet had separately met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier in the month, there were plans for a follow-up engagement to present a consensus candidate for consideration, an effort that now appears complicated by divergent interests as the centre appears no longer holding between Folarin and Adelabu.
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