Strong indications emerged on Wednesday that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is set to announce a former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Bimbo Adekanmbi, as his preferred governorship candidate.
Also, the governor is expected to announce the Action Democratic Party as the new platform to be used by his loyalists, supporters and members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state seeking elective positions in the 2027 elections.
While sources that spoke with The PUNCH asserted that the governor has decided on Adekanmbi, they were divergent about the party platform to be announced, with some speaking of the possibility of the National Democratic Party.
Some of those in close circles of the governor, as well as party stakeholders across various levels, were said to have been informed of the decision on Adekanmbi on Wednesday.
A source said, “We are going to the ADP, and Bimbo Adekanmbi shall be our candidate.”
But some chose to keep sealed lips, stating that the governor should be the one to make the announcement himself.
Stalwarts of the PDP, however, said they were confident that the governor would make the public announcement on his preferred governorship candidate and party platform within the next 48 hours.
A source said Makinde will announce his preferred candidate on Sunday.
Adekanmbi is a former commissioner under the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration.
A source said, “Governor Makinde will tomorrow (Thursday) unveil his preferred consensus candidate. The venue is unknown to me as we speak. The candidate has met with party stakeholders, Oyo Assembly stakeholders, prominent individuals within and outside Ibadan, and the 33 local government chairmen in the state.
“The preferred candidate has appeared before an elders council, Oyo lawmakers and council chairmen across the state, where discussions centred on endorsement ahead of a formal public announcement.
“The meeting was crucial in building consensus among influential figures within the state’s political structure.
“There are also growing indications that the political movement surrounding the governor and his loyalists may be shifting towards a party different from those being speculated, though no official confirmation has been made by Governor Makinde himself.”
Speculation that Adekanmbi was being positioned for the 2027 governorship ticket dates back to July 30, 2024, when he was appointed as chairman of the 11-man committee for the upgrade of the Ibadan airport (Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport) by Makinde.
He officially joined the Peoples Democratic Party on December 10, 2025, and declared his intention to contest the governorship on April 21, 2026.
He made the declaration during a visit to the state secretariat of the PDP, Oke-Ado, where he met with party executives at the state and local government levels and other critical stakeholders.
Following the declaration of his governorship bid, Adekanmbi had met with various party stakeholders across the state, members of the state House of Assembly and local government chairmen.
Adekanmbi contested for the Oyo South senatorial ticket under the platform of the APC in 2023.
The governor had in March tasked the state advisory council, led by Bolaji Ayorinde, to engage with PDP aspirants for the 2027 governorship election.
Ayorinde said the aspirants were not screened, but that the council interacted with them to understand their plans for the state.
Adekanmbi was among the aspirants who appeared before the advisory council.
Others include the member representing Ibadan South-West/North-East, Adedeji Olajide; Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Nureni Adeniran; state Chairman of the Agribusiness Development Agency, Debo Akande; and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Wednesday, Public Relations Officer, Oyo PDP, Micheal Ogunsina, said, “We don’t know the governor’s choice of candidate and party platform, but we expect that he would announce this within the next 48 hours.”
Chairman of Egbeda Local Government Area of the state and the state chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Sikiru Sanda, similarly said, “I am not aware of any preferred or consensus candidate because the governor has not discussed that with us.”
Speaking on the choice of Adekanmbi, some party stalwarts said the governor would have a lot of work to do to convince the Muslim community, which believes it should produce the next governor.
“Adekanmbi is a Christian, but there is an unwritten agreement reached with the governor in 2023 that his successor should be Muslim. We wait to see how it goes,” a PDP stalwart said.
He noted that the All Progressives Congress was aware of this religious factor, hence most of its major governorship aspirants are Muslims.
The camp of some governorship aspirants said they awaited Makinde’s announcement to see if he would “bind them in a cage,” compelling them to back his preferred candidate.
Meanwhile, some say the governor may only ask aspirants to move to another party while he remains in the PDP to see out its current crisis.
The leadership crisis within the PDP deepened following the judgment of the Supreme Court last Thursday, invalidating the national convention of the party held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
In a split decision by a five-member panel, three justices held that the appeal filed by a faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), lacked merit, affirming earlier rulings of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which nullified the convention.
