Ahead of the 2027 general elections, aggrieved chieftains and other stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State on Wednesday agreed to work together to secure the re-election of President Bola Tinubu, the election of the party’s governorship candidate, Sharafadeen Alli, and the victory of other APC candidates.

A credible party chieftain, who was privy to the closed-door meeting held at the party secretariat at Oke-Ado, in Ibadan South West Local Government Area of the state, told The PUNCH that the stakeholders’ meeting was convened by the State Coordinator for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, Teslim Folarin.

He said the meeting centred on Tinubu’s re-election, Alli’s emergence as governor, the electoral success of other APC candidates and efforts to reconcile aggrieved party chieftains following the conduct of the party’s primaries in the state.

The informed APC chieftain who preferred anonymity said, “Yes. We held a closed-door meeting today (Wednesday).

The meeting was convened by the former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin. All the stakeholders were there, Bayo Adelabu inclusive. Some people believed Adelabu was not with the APC; it’s a joke of the century. He was physically present.

“The meeting centred on the re-election of President Tinubu, our governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, as well as the ongoing reconciliation move.

“We have all agreed to work together for the success of the party in Oyo State. So, rest assured, we, APC in Oyo, are going to the polls as a formidable team. There is no crack in Oyo APC.”

Confirming the meeting to our correspondent on the telephone in Ibadan, on Wednesday, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Adewale Sadare, said, “It was a stakeholders’ meeting anyway, and convened by the Oyo State Coordinator for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, and it was well attended.

He listed some of those who attended as former deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan; the state chairman, Moses Adeyemo; former First Lady, Kemi Alao-Akala; former Minister of Youth and Sports, who is now the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare; former Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu; Senator Ayo Adeseun; and Senator Femi Lanlehin.

Others, according to him, were former Minister of Youth and Sports, Toaheed Adedoja; former state APC chairman, Akin Oke; former Senate Chief Whip, Hosea Agboola; former deputy governor, Taofeek Arapaja; Brimoh Yusuf, Fatai Ibikunle and others.

“So, they all expressed their readiness to mobilise support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and also for the electoral victory of all APC candidates across Oyo.

“They were all enthusiastic about the course of the APC in the state.

“It was agreed at the meeting that the remaining part of the reconciliation efforts would be pursued by all and sundry, and we are now putting machinery in motion to move around the state, just to reach the grassroots on the issue of reconciliation because we want everybody to be on board.

“We want Tinubu to get the highest number of votes in the South here in Oyo State, and we are aware of all the challenges, and stakeholders have promised to work together to address all the grey areas and ensure that we record successes at the polls in January and February 2027,” Sadare told The PUNCH on the telephone.