The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekambi, has said his experiences with former governors Rashidi Ladoja, the late Adebayo Alao-Akala and the late Abiola Ajimobi prepared him for the task of governing the state.
He said his years of political interaction and service under the three former governors exposed him to the realities of governance, political leadership, public administration and management of the state’s finances.
He spoke on Arise TV’s live programme on Tuesday, while discussing his political ambition ahead of the 2027 Oyo State governorship election.
According to him, his relationship with Ladoja, who is now the Olubadan of Ibadanland, gave him an understanding of the complexities of political leadership and the need to manage competing interests in government.
He also described his association with Alao-Akala as an important stage in his political development, saying it broadened his understanding of political interests and the structures through which government operates.
Adekambi, however, identified his direct service under Ajimobi as particularly significant to his understanding of Oyo State’s economy and public administration.
He said he served as Ajimobi’s Deputy Chief of Staff before becoming Commissioner for Finance, describing the positions as opportunities to gain practical experience in government operations and financial management.
Adekambi recalled that after Ajimobi’s re-election in 2015, he played a key coordinating role in the administration before the constitution of the State Executive Council.
He said he coordinated activities involving ministries, departments and agencies during the period, effectively operating within what he described as the government’s engine room.
The experience, he said, exposed him to the challenges of coordinating government institutions, managing competing demands across sectors and translating government decisions into action.
Adekambi said the combined experiences he gained through his relationships with Ladoja and Alao-Akala and his service under Ajimobi shaped his understanding of leadership and the administrative and economic challenges confronting the state.
He said those experiences influenced his decision to seek the governorship, adding that his exposure to the workings of government and knowledge of the state’s economic realities would be central to his approach if elected.