2027: Makinde Picks Ex-Ajimobi’s Commissioner, Adekambi, As Preferred Successor

Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has named a former Commissioner for Finance under the late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Mr. Abimbola Adekambi, as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the State.

The State’s Publicity Secretary of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Michael Ogunshina, who stated this in a statement on Wednesday night, said Adekambi, who currently serves as chairman of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport Renovation Committee, had earned the confidence of the governor.

Adekambi previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Oyo State Government and was once Commissioner for Finance in the Immediate-past Governor Ajimobi’s administration.

He officially joined the PDP shortly after Makinde secured his second-term victory in the 2023 general election.

The development is already generating fresh debate within political circles in the State, cutting across both the ruling PDP and opposition parties.

It was gathered that the decision emerged from a series of high-level consultations involving key stakeholders and power brokers within Oyo State’s political landscape.

Although Governor Makinde was yet to make a formal public declaration, Ogunshina affirmed that the decision has effectively been communicated within party ranks.

“Yes, it is confirmed, the governor has announced him,” Ogunshina said.

Adekambi, a technocrat with a strong background in finance and public administration, is widely regarded as experienced in fiscal management.

His emergence as Makinde’s preferred successor signals a strategic political move that could reshape alignments ahead of the 2027 polls.

Political observers noted that the announcement might trigger internal recalibration within the PDP, as well as influence the calculations of opposition parties preparing for the next electoral cycle.

While supporters of the move saw it as a continuity strategy anchored on competence and governance experience, critics argued that it could spark internal contestation within the ruling party over the selection process.

As the political atmosphere gradually builds toward 2027 polls, Makinde’s endorsement of Adekambi is expected to remain a focal point in Oyo State’s evolving succession dynamics.