The Forum of 2023 General Election Candidates of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in Oyo State has condemned the reported movement of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state into the party without proper consultation with stakeholders and leaders of the party.
The forum, in a statement issued after its meeting held on May 7, 2026, expressed dissatisfaction over what it described as the failure to engage both factions of the APM in Oyo State as well as key national stakeholders before any political alignment could take place.
Speaking during the meeting, the Chairman of the forum, Hon. Amigun Samson Ayorinde, said while the reported interest of the PDP faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde in joining the APM could be considered a welcome development, due process and internal party consultations must not be ignored.
According to him, the APM currently operates under two major factions — the Dantalle faction and the Musa Baganna faction — and any political movement into the party must involve both sides to avoid future crises.
He noted that the Musa Baganna faction holds the original certificate of the party, while the Dantalle faction has often represented the party during political negotiations and elections.
Ayorinde further stressed that many of the current stakeholders now identifying with the APM were absent during the difficult stages of building the party’s structure across Oyo State ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He said the 2023 candidates invested significant personal resources into campaigning for the party across the 33 local government areas of the state, despite internal leadership challenges and lack of compensation from both state and national structures.
“Before the 2023 elections, many people did not know APM in Oyo State. We, the candidates, paid the price, promoted the party and struggled to build its identity across the state. It is unfair for those efforts to now be ignored,” he said.
The forum maintained that its members were not officially informed about any declaration or planned movement of Governor Seyi Makinde’s loyalists into the party, despite their contributions to strengthening the APM structure in the state.
The candidates insisted that respect for party members and stakeholders must be reciprocal, warning against any attempt to sideline those who laid the foundation for the party’s visibility during the last general elections.
They called on the leadership of the party and the PDP faction involved in the reported alliance to convene a roundtable discussion involving party leaders and candidates from all 33 local government areas in Oyo State to ensure peaceful engagement and a clear path forward.
The statement was jointly signed by the Secretary of the APM Candidates Forum, Hon. Oluseye Akanji; Hon. Lasis Stanley; Chairman of the forum, Hon. Amigun Samson; Hon. Mrs. Adeagbo Oluremi; Hon. Dr. Ayanrinde Opeyemi; and Hon. Adeniran Olamide.
