The minister of power, Bayo Adelabu, has announced his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
Speaking at an event, Adelabu stated that he has “paid his dues” and believes it is his rightful turn to lead the state.
“Emi lokan”, a Yoruba phrase meaning “it’s my turn,” gained popularity during the 2023 general election campaign of President Bola Tinubu.
“Truly, I have been on this journey for so long. I believe you don’t get a position immediately you join politics. I have paid my dues. I ran against Seyi (Makinde) in 2019, and again in 2023. By that time he was already in power,” Adelabu said.
“In 2027, God has shown that it’s my turn. Emi lokan o, Adelabu lo kan. What’s mine belongs to all of us. I’m telling you there’s a lot of hard work ahead. All party members have to be involved, one person cannot do it.”
Adelabu resigned as deputy governor of operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on July 15, 2018, to pursue his first governorship ambition.
He became the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2019 election but lost to Seyi Makinde, the incumbent governor.
In 2022, after losing the APC primary to Teslim Folarin, Adelabu defected to the Accord Party (AP) and ran again for governor, following the withdrawal of Ayodele Oyajide. He was, however, defeated once more by Makinde.
On July 27, 2023, President Bola Tinubu nominated him as part of his 28-man ministerial list, and Adelabu was subsequently appointed minister of power on August 16, 2023.
He returned to the APC later that year, stressing that his comeback was not driven by personal ambition but by loyalty to the party and the president.
“I returned not because of 2027 governorship ambition or to take over the party, but because I believe this is a party that brought President Bola Tinubu to power, and we need to support him to deliver on his electoral promises,” he said.