A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State and 2027 governorship aspirant, Barr Adebayo Shittu, has withdrawn from the race ahead of the party’s primary election.
Shittu, who currently serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, disclosed this during a telephone conversation on Friday, May 8, 2026.
The former Minister of Communications attributed his withdrawal to what he described as the monetisation of elective offices, lamenting that the cost of nomination forms in the APC had become excessively high.
Noting that poor people and those who want to genuinely serve the nation would find it so difficult because of the financial requirement, doubting the credibility of the party’s primary in the APC.
Shittu, however, revealed that governorship aspirants from the Oke-Ogun axis of the state had resolved to support former Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, for the APC governorship ticket.
He warned that the Oke-Ogun region could boycott the 2027 governorship election if Olaniyan is denied the party’s ticket.
“We will not vote if Olaniyan is not given the 2027 governorship ticket. It is time somebody from Oke-Ogun is allowed to govern Oyo State. The governorship position is not meant for Ibadan alone,” Shittu stated.
