The Oyo State Secretary of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ademola Oke, has dismissed claims that members of the All Progressives Congress defected to the party, describing the purported defection as untrue.

Oke said the state executive of the APM was not aware of any formal defection from the APC, insisting that none of the party’s 351 ward chairmen attended the gathering at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

The APM scribe was reacting to claims surrounding the gathering, which he said should not be interpreted as a mass movement of APC members into the APM.

He said, “APM is a structured party. Nobody defected to our party. We have procedures for defection, and none of the APC structures, from ward to state level, joined us.

“How could people join us and there was no communication between us?”

Oke urged members of the public to disregard claims of a major influx of APC members into the APM, saying political defections could only be recognised when they were properly communicated through the relevant party structures.

He said the gathering at Adamasingba should not be presented as a formal political defection involving APC members.

According to him, none of the 351 ward chairmen of the APM was present at the event, arguing that the absence of the party’s grassroots structures raised questions about claims of a major political movement.

“Genuine defections should be identified through the appropriate party structures and procedures, not through hired crowds and concerts at a CAF-rejected stadium,” Oke added.

The APM secretary maintained that the party remained a structured political organisation with established procedures for admitting defectors, stressing that no such process had taken place in relation to the alleged APC defection.

The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over the state government’s reliance on diesel-powered generators for streetlights, questioning the fate of its N8.5 billion independent power project (IPP).

The campaign organisation, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, said the governor could not continue to blame inadequate electricity supply for the use of fuel-powered generators when the state had acquired regulatory powers to develop its electricity market.

It argued that the Electricity Act 2023 had opened the way for states to develop intrastate electricity markets and attract private investment into power generation and distribution.

Oyo State subsequently established the Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (OYSERC), while regulatory oversight of the state’s intrastate electricity market was transferred from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to the state regulator in August 2024. NERC said the transfer was carried out pursuant to the Electricity Act 2023.

The campaign organisation said: “Governor Makinde, therefore, has no excuse for his own incompetence and glaring failure.”

It specifically questioned the outcome of the 11-megawatt Oyo State Independent Power Project awarded to Elektron Energy.

According to the campaign, the project, which it put at N8.5 billion, failed to deliver the expected value to residents despite the money committed to it.

However, records from the governor’s office show that the project was conceived as an 11MW hybrid power solution comprising 10MW of gas-fired generation and 1MW of solar power, to supply government facilities within the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan and adjoining areas. The project was structured on a Build-Operate-Transfer model.

The first phase of the project was commissioned in December 2024. Elektron Energy said the commissioned facility combined 10MW of gas generation, 1MW of solar power and a 1MWh battery energy storage system.

The Alli campaign, however, said the project had not produced the benefits promised by the administration.

It also questioned the continued operation of diesel-powered streetlights on major roads across the state, alleging that the generators were expensive to maintain and had become a recurring drain on public resources.

“Even the diesel-guzzling streetlights are no longer working, leaving many major roads dark at night,” the statement said.

The campaign organisation further challenged the state government to explain why the power project had not provided a sustainable electricity source for public infrastructure, including streetlights, the state Secretariat in Agodi and health facilities which, it said, had been listed among the intended beneficiaries.

It compared Oyo’s experience with developments in other states, citing Abia’s 188MW Geometric Power project and Akwa Ibom’s 191MW Ibom Power plant.

Abia State’s government confirms that the 188MW Geometric Power Plant was commissioned in February 2024 to supply electricity within the Aba ring-fenced area, while Ibom Power’s own records put its installed Phase One capacity at 191MW.

The campaign also faulted Makinde for citing poor electricity supply as a reason for continued dependence on diesel generators.

It said the explanation was particularly troubling given the governor’s professional background as an electrical engineer.

“The purpose of leadership is to solve problems, not to repeatedly describe them or use them as excuses for failure,” the statement said.

It added that after more than seven years in office, the governor should be held responsible for problems within the state’s authority and capacity to address.

The campaign organisation proposed a power strategy built around solar-powered streetlights, embedded generation, renewable energy, independent distribution networks and increased private-sector investment.

It said these would form part of Senator Alli’s agenda if elected governor of Oyo State.

Monarch begins seven-day seclusion, prays for peace, unity

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has urged Nigerian politicians to put the interest of the country above their political differences, saying Nigeria is bigger than any individual or political interest.

The monarch spoke on Sunday shortly before commencing a seven-day spiritual seclusion ahead of the 2026 Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The annual seclusion is part of the traditional rites preceding the Olojo Festival, one of the major cultural celebrations associated with Ile-Ife and the Yoruba people.

The Ooni, who is also the Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, said his period in seclusion would be devoted to prayers for Nigeria, particularly for peace, unity and sustainable development.

“I am appealing to our politicians. They might have differences, but we should know ultimately that Nigeria is bigger than all of us,” the monarch said.

“It is very important for our political leaders to always look inwardly on how to better the lot of the average Nigerians.”

The Ooni urged political leaders to avoid words and actions capable of threatening national cohesion, reminding them that political power was temporary.

“Some have ruled this country before as political leaders, and others will come after them,” he said.

He said his prayers would also cover Nigeria’s democratic process, particularly as the country prepares for the next general elections.

The monarch commended President Bola Tinubu over what he described as non-interference in the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying such a practice could strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

He also commended Osun residents for participating in the recently concluded governorship election, saying the outcome demonstrated the ability of citizens to determine their leaders through the ballot.

According to him, Nigerians should continue to have the opportunity to freely choose their leaders without actions capable of undermining the democratic process.

The Ooni’s seven-day seclusion, which began on Sunday evening, will also provide him with an opportunity to prepare spiritually for the sacred rites of the Olojo Festival and deepen his connection with the ancestors.

The exercise precedes the annual wearing of the sacred Aare Crown, one of the major highlights of the festival.

A statement by the Senior Media Officer of the Ooni’s Palace, Sodiq Lawal, issued on behalf of the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, said the seclusion marked the beginning of the spiritual phase of the 2026 Olojo Festival.

The festival celebrates Ile-Ife’s indigenous traditions and ancestral heritage and attracts traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts, visitors and members of the Yoruba diaspora.

The public ceremonies are expected to follow the spiritual rites and culminate in the Ooni’s emergence in the sacred crown.