By Adeyinka Adeniran
A prominent chieftain of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Adebisi Olopoeyan, has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over his reaction to the Federal High Court judgment on the leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accusing him of playing to the gallery and paying lip service to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Olopoeyan questioned the governor’s commitment to democratic principles, arguing that his public criticism of alleged attempts to undermine opposition parties at the national level contradicted his handling of an internal political dispute involving rival factions within the APM in Oyo State.
Makinde had, while reacting to the court judgment nullifying the leadership of the ADC faction led by former Senate President David Mark, cautioned President Bola Tinubu against actions capable of undermining democratic institutions and stifling opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor urged the Federal Government to respect the independence of the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that political power was transient while the country and its democratic institutions must endure.
The governor urged the Federal Government to respect the independence of the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that political power was transient while the country and its democratic institutions must endure.
However, reacting to the development, Olopoeyan invoked the legal principle that a person seeking justice must approach the matter with clean hands, challenging Makinde to reconcile his national stance with his conduct in the APM’s internal affairs in Oyo State.
He questioned how the governor, who allegedly directed the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) not to accept the APM primary election conducted on August 3, 2026, despite its monitoring by the electoral body, could now preach justice and condemn alleged attempts to undermine opposition parties.
Olopoeyan maintained that Makinde allegedly scuttled OYSIEC’s efforts to process and recognise the outcome of the exercise amid the dispute between rival factions within the APM.
He further alleged that the governor submitted names of individuals he preferred as APM candidates across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State, despite their alleged failure to register as members of the party.
According to Olopoeyan, the submission of unregistered individuals as preferred candidates raised further questions about Makinde’s commitment to internal party democracy, particularly when considered alongside his alleged interference in the August 3 primary election.
He argued that the governor could not consistently advocate democratic pluralism and respect for opposition parties at the national level while attempting to influence the internal electoral processes of another political party in Oyo State.
He said,
“He who wants justice must come with clean hands. How can Makinde, who allegedly ordered OYSIEC not to accept the valid APM primaries monitored by the electoral body on August 3, 2026, thereby scuttling the commission’s efforts and frustrating the entire exercise amid the factional disagreement within the same party in Oyo State, now be shouting about injustice?
“He who wants justice must come with clean hands. How can Makinde, who allegedly ordered OYSIEC not to accept the valid APM primaries monitored by the electoral body on August 3, 2026, thereby scuttling the commission’s efforts and frustrating the entire exercise amid the factional disagreement within the same party in Oyo State, now be shouting about injustice?
“It is even more disturbing that the same governor who is preaching democracy and warning against the suppression of opposition parties allegedly submitted unregistered members of the APM as his preferred candidates across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State. Is that the democracy he wants Nigerians to embrace?”
The APM chieftain further argued that Makinde’s intervention in the ADC crisis amounted to paying lip service to Atiku’s political interests, rather than demonstrating an uncompromising commitment to democratic principles.
He also alleged that if Makinde were to become Nigeria’s President, his approach to political disagreements could result in the silencing of opposition voices and the emergence of a one-party system.
The controversy followed a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Abuja by Justice Peter Lifu, which nullified the National Working Committee led by Mark and the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s National Secretary.
The court also invalidated decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including the nomination of candidates for elective positions, and directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
The court also invalidated decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including the nomination of candidates for elective positions, and directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
The judgment followed a suit instituted by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
While Atiku has vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, describing it as an attempt to weaken opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Bala Gombe-led faction has welcomed the ruling, insisting that the Mark-led leadership lacked the legal authority to produce valid candidates for the forthcoming elections.
