Folarin, Adelabu Absent as APC Chairman Pushes Reconciliation Ahead of 2027 Oyo Election

The absence of two prominent APC figures, Senator Teslim Folarin and Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has drawn attention to the party’s latest reconciliation meeting in Oyo State as national chairman Nentawe Yilwatda stepped up efforts to unite the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Folarin, the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate, Adelabu, a former Minister of Power and governorship aspirant, and other prominent members were not present when Yilwatda met with the Oyo State APC Reconciliation Committee in Ibadan on Wednesday.

Other notable absentees included governorship aspirants Akeem Agbaje and Hakeem Alao, as well as former Oyo deputy governor Rauf Olaniyan. Their absence comes as the party attempts to address internal disagreements and rebuild its structure ahead of another push to reclaim the state.

Yilwatda described reconciliation as an ongoing process and said the APC would continue engaging members and stakeholders to resolve outstanding grievances. He stressed that unity would be critical to the party’s chances of defeating the ruling party in the 2027 election.

The APC national chairman acknowledged that disagreements were inevitable within a political organisation but said internal disputes should not be allowed to weaken the party. “We are a family,” Yilwatda said, adding that the party remained stable despite the differences among its members.

The reconciliation process will also examine grievances linked to the party’s recent primaries. Co-chairman of the Oyo APC Reconciliation Committee, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, admitted that some members were unhappy with the outcome but urged them to put their differences aside for the larger interest of the party.

Lanlehin said the APC had been out of government in Oyo State for eight years and insisted that members were determined to end that spell in 2027. He expressed confidence that a united party could mount a strong challenge to reclaim power.

Yilwatda also addressed the recently concluded Osun governorship election, saying the APC had yet to adopt an official position on the result. He said the National Working Committee would first meet with the party’s candidate and other stakeholders to review what happened before deciding on its next step.

The national chairman described the Osun election as a learning opportunity for the APC and called for political maturity and sportsmanship. But with several key figures absent from the Oyo reconciliation meeting, the party faces a more immediate test: turning calls for unity into genuine reconciliation before the 2027 contest begins in earnest.