Former Oyo State Commissioner for Justice, Adebayo Mutalubi Ojo, has predicted that Governor Seyi Makinde could lose the backing of some politicians currently supporting his administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), claimed that some of Makinde’s allies are only maintaining public loyalty while waiting for the right time to withdraw their support and oppose the governor’s preferred successor, Bimbo Adekanmbi.
Speaking on the latest edition of OpenForum360, a political podcast in Ibadan, the former commissioner said the true state of affairs would become clearer by December 2026.
“Believe me, by December, you will see what will happen. Most of them will leave him. And they will come out to oppose his candidate openly,” Ojo said.
He added that he would not mention the names of the politicians involved, but insisted that he was aware of the political manoeuvring taking place within the state.
“I know them. I know you know what is happening. They are deceiving him. There are a lot of intrigues in politics. It’s not a straightforward enterprise,” he stated.
Ojo acknowledged Makinde’s popularity as one of the governor’s major political strengths but warned that it could also become a disadvantage as the 2027 elections approach.
According to him, Adekanmbi, as Makinde’s preferred successor, would inherit both the governor’s political goodwill and the opposition against him.
The former commissioner likened the political relationship between Makinde and Adekanmbi to “Siamese twins”, arguing that any political advantage or setback affecting the governor could equally affect his preferred successor.
Ojo further argued that the political situation might have been different if Makinde had allowed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to conduct what he described as transparent, free and fair primaries before selecting its governorship candidate.
He alleged that some politicians publicly identifying with Makinde are privately unhappy with some of his political decisions.
The SAN also drew comparisons between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that some aggrieved APC members had been more vocal about their concerns.
He referenced the APC reconciliation committee led by Senator Femi Lanlehin and mentioned former minister Adebayo Adelabu and Senator Buhari among politicians whose positions he said were being closely watched.
Ojo also cited Comrade Bayo Titilola-Sodo, Hon. Babs Oduyoye and former police commissioner Fatai Owoseni as some of the political figures who had openly expressed grievances within APC and government circles.
He maintained that some politicians would continue to publicly support Makinde and his preferred candidate while keeping their actual political positions private until the situation becomes clearer.
According to Ojo, similar developments had occurred in Osun State, where some politicians remained within the APC despite reservations before the party eventually suffered electoral setbacks.
Despite his criticism of the political strategy surrounding Adekanmbi, Ojo described the former commissioner as “my good brother and my friend.”
However, he warned that people around Adekanmbi might be shielding him from the realities of the political situation and preventing him from fully understanding the challenges ahead.