Former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has dismissed as “false, malicious and mischievous” a viral report alleging that he called on Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing those behind the narrative of manipulating an old audio recording to undermine his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu.
Adelabu, through his media office, insisted that the recording being circulated was an excerpt from a 2022 interview granted when he was the governorship candidate of the Accord Party in Oyo State, warning that the remarks were being deliberately taken out of context to manufacture a political crisis that does not exist.
The former minister challenged those circulating the recording to publish the full, unedited interview, maintaining that he never asked Nigerians to reject the APC or renounced his allegiance to the ruling party.
In a statement issued in October 2026, his media office described the viral report as a calculated attempt to discredit Adelabu, question his political loyalty and create friction between him, President Tinubu and the APC leadership.
“Our attention has been drawn to a false report circulating on social media, alleging that Chief Adebayo A. Adelabu, OFR, FCA, FCIB, the immediate past Minister of Power, called on Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the statement said.
“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.”
The statement urged Nigerians to disregard the allegation, arguing that a proper examination of the original interview would expose what it described as the distortion of Adelabu’s remarks.
According to the media office, Adelabu was speaking within the political context of 2022 when he expressed the view that political parties had disappointed Nigerians and that voters should pay greater attention to the credibility and character of individual candidates.
It maintained that the comments were not a call to reject the APC or oppose Tinubu’s presidency, adding that Adelabu had supported Tinubu’s presidential ambition despite contesting the Oyo governorship election under a different political platform at the time.
The statement also rejected suggestions that the former minister’s grievances over the APC’s governorship nomination process in Oyo State amounted to disloyalty to the party.
Adelabu’s media office alleged that the nomination process was marred by controversy, including the alleged imposition of a preferred aspirant without the transparent release of the primary election results.
It argued that demanding transparency and fairness in party primaries should not be twisted into an attack on the APC or its leadership.
“His position has been consistent: loyalty does not preclude the demand for fairness, transparency and adherence to democratic principles,” the statement said.
The media office questioned the rationale for declaring a winner in a primary election without publishing the results and subsequently setting up a reconciliation committee to pacify aggrieved stakeholders.
It maintained that political parties should uphold the same principles of transparency, accountability and democratic conduct expected of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
**Tinubu Relationship Remains Cordial**
Seeking to dispel speculation about a possible breakdown in relations between Adelabu and the President, the statement described their relationship as longstanding and built on mutual respect, trust and affection.
It said Adelabu had publicly characterised the relationship in father-and-son terms, insisting that it remained cordial despite the controversies surrounding the APC’s governorship nomination process in Oyo State.
“The relationship between Chief Adelabu and President Tinubu transcends partisan politics. It is a longstanding relationship founded on mutual respect, trust and affection,” the statement said.
It further challenged those alleging that Adelabu had called for the rejection of the APC to produce verifiable evidence rather than rely on what it described as fabricated claims and selective excerpts.
The media office also stated that Adelabu had not granted any media interview since the conclusion of the controversial APC governorship nomination process in Oyo State in which he made the alleged statement.
It expressed concern that words he neither said nor authorised were being attributed to him to create the impression of a political rupture between him and the President.
Adelabu, who served as Minister of Power under the APC-led Federal Government before leaving office to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State, was described by his media office as remaining committed to the ruling party and supportive of its broader political objectives.
The statement called on APC members, the media and the general public to verify information before sharing politically sensitive claims, warning against the spread of unsubstantiated reports capable of fuelling unnecessary divisions.
It urged those circulating the video to make the complete recording available for public scrutiny, rather than rely on excerpts that could misrepresent the original context.
“No amount of falsehood can change Adelabu’s political convictions, rewrite his record of loyalty or manufacture enmity between him and Mr President,” the statement declared.
The media office advised the public to disregard the viral report and rely on authentic statements issued by Adelabu or his authorised representatives.
