…Meeting Sparks Political Interest as Former PDP Allies Reconnect Ahead of 2027 Governorship Race
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, has held a closed-door meeting with a prominent chieftain of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Alhaji Abdul-Rasheed Adebisi Olopoeyan, in Ibadan, amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Adegoke met with the grassroots political heavyweight on Thursday at Olopoeyan’s residence in Basorun, Ibadan, in what has generated considerable interest among political observers in the state.
The ADC candidate was accompanied to the meeting by the party’s Deputy National Women Leader (South-West), Alhaja Kafilat Omolabake Olayiwola, popularly known as Aje-Iya.
The meeting was held privately, with neither Adegoke nor Olopoeyan disclosing details of their discussions to journalists after the engagement.
However, the timing and political backgrounds of the two men have fuelled speculation that the discussions may have centred on the unfolding political developments in Oyo State and preparations for the 2027 governorship election.
Adegoke and Olopoeyan have a history of political association dating back to their days in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before their political paths subsequently took them to different platforms, with Olopoeyan becoming associated with the APM and Adegoke emerging as a leading figure in the ADC.
Their renewed engagement is therefore being viewed by political watchers as potentially significant, particularly against the backdrop of the ongoing repositioning and realignment of political forces in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
Both men are regarded as influential political actors with networks extending across different constituencies, making any interaction between them a subject of interest within political circles.
The meeting also comes against the backdrop of recent political differences between Olopoeyan and Governor Seyi Makinde, who is also associated with the APM.
Olopoeyan and Makinde were previously regarded as political allies, but their relationship reportedly became strained following disagreements over the emergence of candidates for the forthcoming December 2026 local government elections in Oyo State.
The disagreement has reportedly resulted in competing interests over candidates for the local government elections, which are being closely watched as an important political precursor to the 2027 general elections.
Although Thursday’s meeting should not, in itself, be interpreted as evidence of a formal political alliance, its occurrence has nevertheless generated speculation about possible new alignments ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.
The ADC has continued to position itself as a major political alternative in Oyo State, while the APM remains an important political platform with established structures and influential personalities in the state.
Whether the engagement between Adegoke and Olopoeyan will translate into a formal political understanding or broader cooperation remains to be seen.
For now, both political figures have maintained silence on the outcome of the meeting, leaving political stakeholders and observers to watch closely for any subsequent developments.
