By Ademola Ade
Ajiboye Akande Sangogade, popularly known as BoyeNation, has defended his decision to support President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the national level and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi.
Sangogade, a former Personal Assistant to ex-Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, described allegations by the Oyo State chapter of the APC that his political movement was engaging in double dealings as a misunderstanding of democratic principles.
He argued that supporting a presidential candidate should not prevent individuals from independently assessing other candidates based on their competence, credibility, leadership experience and proposed policies.
His reaction followed comments attributed to the Oyo APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, who reportedly cautioned members of the BoyeNation movement against promoting candidates from different political parties simultaneously.
The party’s concerns reportedly followed the circulation of a video showing campaign-branded vehicles displaying the images of Tinubu and Adekanmbi alongside references to the APC and APM.
Responding to the development, Sangogade maintained that Nigerians had the constitutional right to make independent political choices without being compelled to support every candidate belonging to the same political party.
He said political parties should serve as platforms for democratic participation rather than dictate the political preferences and voting decisions of their supporters.
“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.
“Democracy is not a compulsory package in which supporting one candidate automatically makes it an obligation to endorse everybody else bearing the same party identity.
“Every candidate must earn the confidence of the electorate through competence, credibility, character and a convincing vision for the people,” he said.
The former Adelabu aide further argued that political loyalty should not replace critical thinking, insisting that voters must be allowed to support candidates whose records and programmes they consider beneficial to their communities.
He also warned against attempts to intimidate political groups for expressing support for candidates across party lines.
“Nobody should be intimidated into surrendering his political convictions. The electorate are not political hostages, and no political party has the exclusive ownership of their conscience.
“If a Nigerian believes in President Tinubu at the national level and finds another candidate more convincing at the state level, that is a political choice.
“The question should be whether the candidates have the capacity to deliver, not whether their party affiliations fit into somebody’s preferred political arrangement,” he added.
Addressing the allegation that his movement was creating confusion through its political activities, Sangogade said there was a clear difference between political inconsistency and the exercise of independent political judgement.
He urged the APC to focus on presenting credible candidates, communicating its policies and convincing voters of its capacity to deliver, rather than attempting to regulate the political preferences of individuals and groups.
He also maintained that national and state elections involved different leadership considerations, stressing that support for Tinubu at the federal level did not automatically determine his choice in Oyo State.
Explaining his backing for Adekanmbi, Sangogade described the APM governorship candidate as a credible option capable of sustaining the development direction in the state.
He said continuity in governance should be assessed based on a candidate’s ability to preserve existing achievements, improve policies and deliver further benefits to residents, rather than party affiliation alone.
According to him, the people of Oyo State should prioritise competence, experience and practical development proposals when deciding who deserves their votes.
“An election is not a loyalty test organised by political parties. It is an opportunity for the people to decide who deserves their mandate.
“Rather than asking why an individual supports one candidate at the national level and another at the state level, the more important question is what each candidate has to offer and how their proposed leadership will improve the lives of the people.
“We must move away from the politics of entitlement and embrace the politics of performance. No candidate should expect automatic endorsement simply because of the political platform on which he is contesting,” he said.
Sangogade further called on political actors to recognise the growing demand among voters for tangible achievements, realistic development plans and measurable results.
He urged political parties to accommodate divergent opinions and address disagreements through constructive engagement rather than accusations and public warnings.
Reaffirming his position, he said the freedom to disagree was fundamental to democracy and should not be sacrificed for partisan loyalty.
“The beauty of democracy lies in the freedom to disagree without being branded an enemy. Political parties must learn that they cannot command public confidence through threats or declarations of entitlement.
“Let every candidate present his record, explain his vision and convince the people why he deserves their votes.
“At the end of the day, it is the electorate, not political party spokespersons, who will determine the direction of governance.
“Our position is simple: support should be earned, not demanded. We believe Nigerians and 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.
