The 2027 governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has rejected attempts to link him to an alleged N30 billion financial discrepancy from his period as commissioner.
Adekanmbi, who served as Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning under the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, said the N30bn local government funds controversy did not involve the state Ministry of Finance.
Speaking on Arise News’ The Morning Show on Tuesday, the former commissioner said the matter related specifically to local government finances and transactions conducted through the Joint Accounts Committee, JAC.
He explained that he never attended any JAC meeting where the transactions in question were discussed. According to Adekanmbi, responsibility for the matter should therefore not be attributed to the state Ministry of Finance or his office during the Ajimobi administration.
He said the records surrounding the transactions were available and argued that any investigation or calls for accountability should be directed toward the appropriate local government structures.
The issue has resurfaced as Adekanmbi campaigns to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde in the 2027 Oyo governorship election.
Adekanmbi emerged as the APM candidate after the party’s governorship primary in Ibadan in May.
The former commissioner also addressed claims surrounding his relationship with Makinde and suggestions that the governor influenced his emergence as the APM candidate.
He said his emergence followed consultations across Oyo State, involving different sectors and regions, rather than a decision imposed by the governor.
Adekanmbi said candidates for various elective positions emerged through consensus and noted that the predicted internal crisis within the party had not occurred.
On his decision to campaign under the “Omituntun 3.0” agenda associated with Makinde’s administration, Adekanmbi rejected suggestions that he was merely acting as the governor’s political surrogate.
He said Makinde had encouraged him to pursue his own political direction while warning him not to inherit his political enemies or liabilities.
Adekanmbi also recalled an occasion when Makinde publicly urged supporters to back his governorship ambition.
However, he stressed that he would take personal responsibility for his decisions if elected governor and would operate based on his own manifesto and strategy.
Reflecting on his political career, Adekanmbi said his experience working under successive Oyo administrations had exposed him to different leadership styles.
He referenced his experience under former governors Rashidi Ladoja, the late Abiola Ajimobi and Seyi Makinde, saying he had observed the strengths and weaknesses of the administrations. Adekanmbi said the experience had given him insights that would guide his own approach if he eventually becomes governor of the state.
