Makinde Endorses Adekanmbi for Oyo 2027 Governorship Race

Governor Seyi Makinde has openly endorsed former Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Bimbo Adekanmbi, as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.

The declaration came on Thursday during Adekanmbi’s formal unveiling as the consensus governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) at a political gathering in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Makinde’s endorsement appears to have ended weeks of speculation over who the governor intends to support as his successor when his second term expires in 2027.

At the rally attended by leaders and supporters of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM, Makinde and Adekanmbi were seen seated together as party loyalists cheered what many observers described as a strategic political alignment ahead of the next election cycle.

Speaking at the event, the governor linked Adekanmbi’s candidacy to the continuation of his administration’s “Omituntun” agenda in the state.

“You have tasted Omituntun 1.0 and 2.0. Is it sweet, or not? This is Omituntun 3.0,” Makinde declared as he and Adekanmbi raised APM face caps before supporters.

The governor, however, advised the former commissioner to build his own political identity and avoid inheriting political rivalries from the current administration.

“I have told Bimbo, don’t inherit my enemies; chart your own path. I’m only human, and I make mistakes, just like everyone else,” Makinde said.

“He should improve on the good things we have done for the benefit of the people of Oyo State,” he added.

Adekanmbi, an Ibadan indigene and chartered accountant, is widely regarded as one of the leading technocrats in Oyo politics. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff and later Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning under the late former governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

Before returning fully to politics, Adekanmbi built a career in banking, consulting and public finance, with professional experience spanning Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Political watchers in the state had long speculated about Makinde’s closeness to Adekanmbi, especially after the governor appointed him in 2024 to head the committee overseeing the upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan to international standard.

Adekanmbi was formerly a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and contested for the Oyo South Senatorial seat under the party in 2023 before resigning from the APC in October 2025 and later aligning with the PDP political structure in the state.

The governor’s latest declaration is expected to reshape political calculations within Oyo State, where succession politics has intensified following Makinde’s recent indication that he may seek a higher national office in 2027.