Former Personal Assistant to the erstwhile Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Ajiboye Akande Sangogade, popularly known as BoyeNation, has dismissed allegations by the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that his group is engaging in political double-dealing by supporting President Bola Tinubu while identifying with the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi.
While reacting to a statement by the Oyo APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, he described the allegation as a misunderstanding of democratic freedom and independent political judgement.
The APC had reportedly accused members of the group of creating political confusion following the circulation of campaign vehicles displaying the images of President Tinubu alongside those of Adekanmbi, with references to both the APC and APM.
However, BoyeNation maintained that supporting Tinubu at the national level does not mean surrendering the right to independently assess and support candidates at the state level.
He argued that democracy does not require voters to endorse every candidate belonging to the same political party, stressing that candidates should earn public support through competence, credibility, character and achievable development plans.
"Politics should not be confused with reality. Political parties are vehicles for democratic participation, not institutions that own the conscience, judgement or voting rights of Nigerians. Supporting President Bola Tinubu does not mean surrendering one's right to assess other candidates independently," he stated.
He further argued that political loyalty should not replace critical thinking, insisting that Nigerians have the right to support candidates whose leadership capacity and programmes they consider beneficial, regardless of party affiliation.
BoyeNation also cautioned against intimidating individuals and political groups for expressing independent political preferences, noting that national and state elections involve different leadership considerations.
On the Oyo governorship election, he expressed support for the APM candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, describing him as capable of sustaining the state's development direction. He maintained that continuity in governance should be determined by a candidate's competence, experience and ability to improve on existing achievements.
He challenged the APC to focus on presenting convincing candidates and development policies rather than attempting to dictate the political choices of individuals and groups.
According to him, elections should be about performance, credible leadership and the welfare of the people, not automatic endorsements based on party identity.
He urged political parties to embrace democratic engagement and allow the electorate to make independent decisions through the ballot box.
"Our position is simple: support should be earned, not demanded. The people of Oyo State deserve the freedom to make political decisions based on their understanding of the issues and what they consider to be in their best interests," he declared.
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