This alliance arrives just days after a former Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, dropped his governorship ambition and switched camps from the Action Democratic Party (ADP) to the APC.

APC sources tell Pulse that the alliance was facilitated by Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi, who currently represents Oyo South senatorial district in the upper legislative chamber.

The APC is battling to keep Oyo State after losing the presidential election to the PDP on Feb 23.

Akanbi recently reunited with the APC from the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) and held a high-powered meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC godfather Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC stalwarts after the presidential and national assembly elections of February 23.

Pulse understands that the APC has been making frantic moves to salvage its loss of the presidential election in Oyo.

As part of the plan, making peace with Senator Akanbi, who was the governorship candidate of the ADC in the Oyo South senatorial election won by PDP's Kola Balogun, became an imperative.

Over 350 members, party leaders and representatives of the Accord Party from all 33 local government areas of Oyo, converged on the Mauve 23 Event Centre in Ring Road Ibadan on Tuesday, March 5 to finalise their terms of support for the ruling party.

At the meeting, Senator Akanbi told the Accord members that his return to help the APC's recovery process was hinged on recent reconciliation efforts of the APC national leaders.

He lauded the virtues of President Muhammadu Buhari and emphasized the need to ensure Oyo state aligns with the ruling party to further bring development to the state.

"We are here to cement a relationship that will bring massive development to the state because the ruling party leadership has a mandate to win in Oyo State.

“We recognise that we only can win together, and that is why we are calling on fellow progressive minded people to join the winning side. I enjoin you all to align with the APC to win the gubernatorial elections in the state and ensure progressive change in the interest of the masses", Akanbi said.

The chairman of the Accord in Oyo, Engr. Muda Ogunsola, lauded the senator for placing the masses' interest first.

He explained that his party's decision to support the APC in Saturday's governorship election has been well accepted by all stakeholders in the party and that the national hierarchy of the party has granted the go ahead for the state chapter to assist the APC to realize its mandate in the governorship elections.

Ogunsola, while addressing the Accord Party delegates, said, "I am particularly happy that Senator Soji Akanbi facilitated this alliance which we have graciously accepted, in the interest of the progress of the state.

“We, as a party, realize that his interests are selfless, whilst ensuring that his party claims the state at governorship level.

“To this end, we can assure Senator Akanbi, the APC and the governorship candidate of their party, that he has our support on Saturday."

The party delegates also took turns to declare their support and voice their concerns over the coming elections.

The Oyo State chapter of the APC in the state surrendered the Oyo South senatorial seat and all four federal constituencies in the district to the PDP during the last elections.

APC's poor showing in Ibadan metropolis which affected their overall performance, is largely blamed on the internal crisis that forced Senator Akanbi to seek re-election on the platform of the ADC after State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi claimed the party's ticket from the incumbent senator.

Ajimobi would go on to lose his senatorial election.

Sources in the Southwest state tell Pulse that the APC is hoping that its recent reconciliation with the governorship candidate of the ADP and former Governor of the State, Alao-Akala, will help the party win Ogbomoso ahead of the crucial vote.

The Oyo State governorship election is expected to be a straight contest between Adelabu Adekola of the APC and Oluseyi Makinde of the PDP.