- A video clip from a 2022 interview showing Adelabu urging Nigerians to reject the APC resurfaced on social media on Saturday
- Adelabu's media office described the circulating report as false and maliciously intended to damage his relationship with President Tinubu
- The former minister's team challenged those sharing the video to release the full, unedited interview to establish the correct context
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Ibadan, Oyo State - Former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has dismissed as false reports that he called on Nigerians to vote against the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the claim was based on a video clip deliberately stripped of its original context.
He stated this after footage from a 2022 interview resurfaced online. In that interview, Adelabu was speaking as the Accord Party's governorship candidate in Oyo State, at a time when he had not yet joined the APC.
As reported by The Punch, Adelabu's media office made this known in a statement issued on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
What the 2022 interview actually said
According to the statement, Adelabu had used the interview to argue that political parties across the board had let Nigerians down and that voters should judge candidates on their individual character and credibility rather than party affiliation.
His media office said those remarks reflected the political mood of that period and were not a direct attack on the APC or a repudiation of Tinubu's presidency.
"This report is entirely false, misleading and maliciously intended to discredit Chief Adelabu, undermine his loyalty to the APC and, perhaps, create unnecessary friction between him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the party. We therefore urge the public to disregard the fabricated narrative," the statement read.
The office added that Adelabu had not granted any media interview since the conclusion of the disputed APC governorship nomination process in Oyo State, making it clear that no recent statement from him existed to support the circulating claims.
Adelabu's loyalty to Tinubu and the APC
While acknowledging that Adelabu had voiced dissatisfaction over the APC's governorship primary in Oyo State, his media team insisted that demanding transparency and fair play within a party was not the same as disloyalty.
The statement described his relationship with President Tinubu as longstanding and built on mutual respect, and said it remained cordial.
"Anyone who knows Chief Adelabu, his political antecedents and his relationship with the President would find it difficult to believe such an allegation without compelling evidence. Throughout his political journey, Adelabu has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the APC and his loyalty to President Tinubu," the statement said.
The media office went further to urge APC members, journalists, and the general public to confirm the accuracy of information before sharing it, warning that the spread of misleading content risked creating divisions within the party.
It also called on those behind the video's circulation to release the full, unedited recording so the public could judge the remarks in their proper context.
The statement reiterated that Adelabu had no plans to leave the APC and that his political ambitions were not something he would pursue at any cost to his principles or his party relationships.
Oyo 2027: Adelabu’s ambition faces fresh trouble
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that the SDP governorship candidate Saheed Oladele accused Adelabu of attempting to secure the Oyo 2027 ticket through the back door.
Oladele has warned that SDP already has a valid candidate and no placeholder arrangement exists for substitution.
The state has been linked to repeated electoral defeats as party disputes intensify ahead of the Oyo 2027 race.
Source: Legit.ng