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2023: Adelabu vows to reclaim Oyo’s pacesetting glory, declares governorship bid

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Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State in the 2019 general election, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, has restated his determination to reclaim the state’s pacesetting glory.

The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), deputy governor noted that his gubernatorial ambition is intended to enrich politics with ethics, to mix the soil of knowledge and professional competence with water of experiences in the service of humanity, promising to give practical expressions to ideals of humanity in the state.

He said, “You will all recollect that I contested for the governorship of Oyo state in 2019 and I lost the election under very controversial circumstances that almost heated the polity of the state but for my love for peace and tranquility in Oyo State and, Nigeria as a whole, I, therefore, decided to pursue the part of the rule of law instead of the rule of violence and thuggery by approaching the courts and we pursued the matter up to the Supreme Court. That action was to clearly show that I am a man that abhors violence and thuggery. I vehemently abhor the dictates of a one-man dictatorship.

“I and our great party wanted a land of peace in Oyo State just as our late leader, Abiola Ajimobi abhorred violence and brought peace to bear in Oyo State for the eight years he governed the state”.

Speaking on Monday at a press conference heralding his official declaration, in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, Adelabu said the Seyi Makinde-led government in the state is failing daily and woefully on fundamental departments of government business, adding that the security of lives and properties is a distant achievement for the current government.

According to him, “Makinde’s government has enthroned thuggery and hooliganism as the official controllers of Oyo State. The indigenes and residents in the Pacesetter state can not sleep with their two eyes closed talkless of doing businesses of life with peace and progress. The Excellency of Government is no longer excellent in Oyo State in the light of our sordid performance in the Environment, Education, Health, Security, and Agriculture among others”, he said.

He further lamented that the hitherto neat environment has become sanitary eyesores, saying “heap of refuse is everywhere in the medians of the majority of roads in the blessed City of Ibadan”.

“The government thinks he can convince anybody with his fluke performance by the provision of street lights in salient places. It is even paradoxical that the Engineer in control of the state is powering street lights with generators instead Solar Lights that are the order of the modern century”

Adelabu also expressed concern over the poor quality of education in the state, which he claimed is far from the excellency of this government.

“Public schools have become mangers for goats and animals despite the recorded fact that Governor attended public schools. The Teachers are unmotivated but this Government thinks the exterior satisfaction of salary can give motivation to teachers. What a messy scene in the affairs of the Oyo State public. Oyo state must reclaim its lost glory by reducing out-of-school children and making primary and secondary education, unlike tertiary education, free and compulsory. There should be plans in place to upgrade the decrepit primary and secondary schools”.

The APC guber hopeful, however assured residents that he will deliver the state from the shackles of poverty as well as the insensitive of the Seyi Makinde-led Oyo State government.

The event had in attendance, former Senator Ayo Adeseun, Alh. Basiru Akanbi, former Oyo state PDP chairman, Chief Kunle Sanda, Hon. Olagunju Ojo, former Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Alhaji Wale Sanusi, Chairman Adelabu Mandate Group, Alh. Wasiu Ajimobi.

Others include Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, factional chairman of APC in Oyo state, and his Deputy , Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Chief Akinade Fijabi, Otunba Rotimi Ajanaku, Hon. Saheed Fijabi, former House of Representatives member, among others.

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Oyo 2027: Alli’s Campaign Accuses Makinde, Adekanmbi of Plot to Attack APC Supporters, Vandalise Billboards

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The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has raised concerns over an alleged plot to attack members of the All Progressives Congress and supporters of the party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, while accusing suspected agents of the state government of vandalising campaign billboards.

The organisation called on security agencies to intervene, warning that the alleged development could heighten political tension in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement, the campaign organisation alleged that hoodlums linked to the Allied Peoples Movement governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, and Governor Seyi Makinde were planning fresh attacks on members of the Park Management System and other APC supporters.

It described the alleged plot as an attempt to intimidate opposition members and weaken the party’s support base across the state.

The organisation recalled previous attacks on APC members, including an incident in Ibadan in October in which an APC member reportedly lost his life. It added that several other party supporters had sustained injuries in separate incidents over the past two months.

According to the statement, the latest alleged threat was directed particularly at members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers supporting the APC, including a prominent member popularly known as Oyere and his followers.

SSACO claimed that suspected attackers monitored the APC’s manifesto unveiling at Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall last Tuesday, where the names of some NURTW members who had recently joined the party were allegedly compiled.

The organisation further linked the alleged development to the growing attendance at Oyere’s weekly meeting, which reportedly attracted hundreds of transport workers.

It also claimed that a meeting allegedly convened by a member of the governor’s inner circle around 10pm on Friday discussed plans to disrupt the gatherings of NURTW members supporting the APC.

The campaign organisation did not, however, provide independent evidence to substantiate the alleged meeting or the reported plan of attack.

On the destruction of campaign materials, SSACO accused suspected agents of the state government of vandalising Senator Alli’s billboards at different locations across the state.

It further alleged that billboard proprietors who rented advertising spaces to the APC candidate were being pressured, warning that such actions could undermine their businesses and restrict the party’s ability to campaign freely.

The organisation described the alleged destruction of the billboards as a setback for democratic participation and urged the relevant authorities to investigate the incidents.

“We call on the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs to nip this alleged plan in the bud. Oyo State does not deserve political violence,” the statement said.

It also urged residents to hold political actors accountable for the conduct of their supporters, warning that any escalation of political violence could endanger lives and property.

Despite the alleged threats, the campaign organisation maintained that the APC would continue its political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

It called on security agencies to take preventive measures to protect residents, political supporters and campaign facilities, stressing the need for a peaceful political atmosphere in the state.

 

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₦873bn LG allocations, 674,000 out-of-school children, empty hospitals: Alli’s camp challenges Makinde, Adekanmbi

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The Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has challenged Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, to address questions surrounding local government administration, healthcare and education in the state rather than accuse Senator Sharafadeen Alli of copying government policies in his Oyo AHEAD manifesto.

The organisation described the allegation that Alli copied policies of the Makinde administration as an attempt to divert attention from what it called pressing governance challenges confronting residents of the state.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, SSACO said the manifesto was informed by Alli’s experience in public service and his understanding of the challenges facing the state.

It noted that the senator had served as a local government chairman, Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff before his election to the Senate.

“Alli is not a newcomer learning governance from press releases. He was a Council Chairman, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and is now a serving Senator. That experience from the ward to the Senate is what positions him as a candidate for Oyo State. You cannot copy what you have lived,” the statement said.

The campaign organisation argued that the debate over the manifesto should focus on its proposals and the issues they seek to address, particularly what it described as the paralysis of local governments, inadequate healthcare personnel, poorly equipped public hospitals and the growing number of out-of-school children.

On local government administration, SSACO claimed that the 33 local government areas in Oyo State had received approximately ₦873bn in Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations since 2019.

It, however, alleged that the councils had failed to make their budgets publicly accessible online, raising questions about transparency and accountability at the grassroots.

The organisation said Alli had proposed issuing an executive order on his first day in office to guarantee local government autonomy, ensure that councils receive their allocations on a fixed date and facilitate the monthly remittance of the 10 per cent of state revenue due to them.

According to SSACO, the proposal is aimed at restoring effective grassroots administration and ensuring that public resources translate into development at the community level.

On healthcare, the campaign organisation raised concerns over the state of public hospitals, claiming that six local government areas had no general hospital, while six general hospitals had no doctor as of October 2025.

It further alleged that 10 other hospitals had only one doctor each, while primary healthcare centres operated with an average of three workers, against a national benchmark of 24.

The organisation said the figures raised questions about access to medical services, particularly for residents in rural communities who depend largely on public health facilities.

As part of its proposed intervention, Alli’s Oyo AHEAD manifesto outlines an Oyo Care programme that promises free healthcare for infants, pregnant women and residents aged 70 and above.

Other proposals include continuous recruitment of health workers, provision of modern medical equipment, regular supply of essential medicines, solar power for rural maternity centres and public accountability dashboards in every ward.

SSACO maintained that the proposals were designed to address practical gaps in healthcare delivery rather than merely repeat existing government programmes.

In education, the organisation cited figures it attributed to the state government’s school census, claiming that approximately 674,000 children between the ages of three and 17 were out of school in Oyo State, reportedly the highest figure in the South-West.

It also claimed that public primary school classrooms accommodated about 100 pupils on average, while seven out of every 10 children aged between seven and 14 could not perform basic arithmetic.

To address the situation, the Oyo AHEAD manifesto proposes reducing classroom populations to 30 pupils, rehabilitating public schools across the 33 local government areas and introducing scholarships for academically gifted children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It also proposes the enactment of an Apprenticeship Law and the restoration of School Governing Boards to give parents and host communities a greater role in the administration of public schools.

Beyond education and healthcare, the manifesto outlines an agricultural transformation programme, a ₦10bn Youth Fund, affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners and a proposed 20-year warranty on newly constructed roads.

The campaign organisation also challenged the state government to substantiate claims that Oyo was the most liveable state in the country by making public the report, its publisher and the methodology used in arriving at the ranking.

It further faulted the argument that Alli’s proposal for one primary healthcare centre per ward amounted to copying the Makinde administration’s policies, insisting that the availability of facilities must be matched by adequate manpower, equipment and essential medicines.

“They claim Oyo is the most liveable state but cannot produce the report, the publisher or the methodology. They claim Alli copied one-PHC-per-ward, yet our PHCs have three workers instead of 24. That is not implementation. That is abandonment,” the statement said.

The organisation also described Adekanmbi’s political position as a continuation of the present administration’s approach to governance, arguing that the Oyo AHEAD manifesto offered a different set of proposals for addressing the state’s development challenges.

“Oyo AHEAD is a correction. It is a covenant. And we will continue to highlight the issues that matter to the well-being of the people of Oyo State,” the statement added.

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Oyo APC Warns Boye Nation: Back All Our Candidates or Quit

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has warned promoters of a political group, Boye Nation, against what it described as an attempt to create confusion in the state’s political landscape by campaigning for candidates of different political parties.

The party said those interested in supporting its candidates must be prepared to work for all APC flag bearers or stay away from its political activities.

The warning followed the circulation of a video on social media showing several vehicles branded with campaign materials bearing the images of President Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, and the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State.

The vehicles also reportedly displayed the symbols of Boye Nation alongside the logos of the APC and APM, raising questions about the political allegiance of the group and its promoters.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, said the APC remained willing to reconcile with aggrieved members and accommodate those prepared to return to its fold.

He, however, cautioned that the party’s disposition towards reconciliation should not be mistaken for weakness.

Sadare said the party had received reports that some individuals behind Boye Nation’s activities in Ibadan were allegedly making moves capable of creating confusion within the political space.

“We have got the reports from different sources that some individuals, who are behind the Boye Nation activities in Ibadan, are perfecting plans to create confusion in the polity. Some of these people celebrate their confusion on social media, but we can only wish them the best of luck,” he said.

The party’s spokesman further alleged that some individuals who recently left the APC were attempting to campaign for President Tinubu while belonging to another political party.

While expressing sympathy for the individuals, Sadare urged them to reconsider their political decision and return to the APC, which he described as their political home.

He also criticised the branding of campaign vehicles and other materials with the identities of different political parties, describing the development as unacceptable.

“While we sympathise with the man in question as he and his group must have realised the fatal error in their recent political move, we urge them to return home and play the role expected of them as progressive family members,” the statement said.

The party maintained that support for Tinubu must translate into support for other APC candidates seeking elective positions in the state.

Sadare said anyone genuinely interested in the success of the President must also be committed to the party’s governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates.

“If you are supporting our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, you must be intentional by working for the governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of the APC at the same time, as doing otherwise would be unacceptable to us,” the statement added.

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