Makinde, Supporters Only Alliance Members, Not APM Leaders, Olopoeyan to Southwest APC
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State has clarified that Governor Seyi Makinde and his supporters are only alliance members using the party’s platform for electoral purposes, insisting that the arrangement does not make the governor a leader of the party.
The party’s chieftain, Alhaji Adebisi Aremu Olopoeyan, stated this while reacting to the South-West leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which recently claimed that Makinde had lost control of his party amid political disagreements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Olopoeyan said Makinde and his supporters remained members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), explaining that their relationship with the APM was based on a political alliance rather than formal membership or participation in the party’s regular affairs.
He urged the APC to distinguish between Makinde’s alliance arrangement and the APM as a political party, arguing that the governor should not be portrayed as the party’s leader.
“APC should not identify him as a party man. They are alliance members for election sake. Their campaign organisation is also not party-backed. If you want to talk about Makinde, tag him to the alliance, not our party,” Olopoeyan said.
The APM chieftain maintained that the party had no faction, adding that those aligned with Makinde had not formally joined the party but were merely using its platform to participate in elections.
The clarification followed the South-West APC’s accusation that Makinde had lost control of the PDP, alongside questions about his ability to lead a broader political coalition ahead of the 2027 elections. The APC also described the governor as campaigning on a “borrowed ticket”.
Olopoeyan’s remarks come amid political disagreements over alliances and party affiliations ahead of the next general elections.
Recall that Olopoeyan had previously argued that Makinde’s actions during the 2023 presidential election established a precedent for party members to support candidates from other political parties while retaining their membership.
Speaking during a visit by Chief Dotun Sanusi to his residence in Ibadan, Olopoeyan said he and his supporters would vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 while remaining members of the APM.