A video has emerged online claiming the former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has called on Nigerians to reject APC in the 2027 General Elections. On Saturday, October 10, 2026, an Instagram, user, Aproko of Africa posted the video in which the former Minister lambasted the All Progressives Congress and purportedly asked voters to reject the party at both federal and state elections.
The story could also be found on a few news blogs the angle online here and here.
The viral video, with the caption, “Former Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu Calls on Nigerians to reject APC after losing Election in Oyo State, says Party has Wrecked Nigeria” has garnered 543 comments, 992 likes, 2337 shares on Instagram.
Screenshot of the Instagram post by Aproko of Africa
Also, the video has gone viral on X, with an October 10, 2026 post by @dangbanamana. At the time of filing this fact check, the video had generated 3,300 reposts, 5,700 likes and 426,000 views.
Screenshot of the post on X by @dangbanamager
The video has also be shared or reposted on X here, here, here, here, and here. And on Facebook, it has been shared here too.
Verification
A keyword search shows that the video was an interview on a popular Yoruba political programme, Bosenlo anchored by Temitayo Oyeladun on Lagelu FM 96.7, Ibadan. The former Minister of Power reportedly made the statements after he lost the party’s governorship primary.
Furthermore, search result hug indicates that Adelabu granted the interview live on Saturday, August 20 2022.
A check with the radio station shows that the interview from which the vidoe was extracted was conducted in August, 2022. A promo post about the interview appeared on 16 August 2022.
While there are snippets of the viral interview online, a full version of the video is unavailable.
Viral Video Debunked
After the video circulated and became viral, Adelabu issued a statement, stressing that he did not make such a call in 2026.
The press statement signed by Adelabu’s Media Office, has, however, rejected the claim that Adelabu said Nigerians should reject the APC nationwide.
“This report is entirely false, misleading and maliciously intended to discredit Chief Adelabu, undermine his loyalty to the APC and, perhaps, create unnecessary friction between him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the party. We therefore urge the public to disregard the fabricated narrative”, the statement read.
The disclaimer has also be shared by Bayo Onanuga, the spokesman for President Bola Tinubu.
According to the disclaimer, the video being circulated is an “excerpt from an interview Adelabu granted in 2022, when he was the governorship candidate of the Accord Party in Oyo State. In that interview, he expressed the view that political parties had disappointed Nigerians and that voters should pay greater attention to the credibility and character of individual candidates”.
Amplifying Information Disorder
Interestingly, popular media practitioner and co-anchor of a morning show on national television, Rufai Oseni also shared the video. Rufai reposted the video which generated thousands of views and comments.
Even after the popular broadcaster shared the
disclaimer by Adelabu on his X handle, he did not take down the post, as of the time of filing this report.
For context, Adebayo Adelabu was a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) prior to the said interview being recirculated in 2026. He contested for the governorship ticket of the party in June 2026 against former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin. Adelabu then defected from APC after losing the governorship ticket in May, 2026.
He announced his defection to Accord party in August. The interview took place later that month.
From the foregoing and based on our checks, the video is an excerpt from an interview that Chief Adelabu granted in 2022. It is being recirculated possibly for political advantage, as this is an electioneering season. While he made the statements credited to him in the said interview, he was speaking in the context of the 2023 general election.
This circulating video is therefore misleading.
