The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has dismissed criticism of its candidate’s manifesto by the African Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, describing it as frustration with a development agenda it considers superior.

The organisation said Alli’s Oyo AHEAD manifesto offered practical solutions to challenges in grassroots development, healthcare, education, agriculture and youth empowerment, which it accused the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde of failing to address effectively in the last seven years.

In a statement on Wednesday, SSACO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, said Adekanmbi’s criticism reflected an attempt to defend Makinde’s administration despite its alleged shortcomings.

The campaign organisation accused the state government of weakening local government administration, neglecting healthcare and education, and failing to deliver meaningful progress in agriculture and youth development.

It alleged that Oyo State had the highest number of out-of-school children in the South-West, while several hospitals lacked doctors and government-backed farm settlements had become inactive despite substantial budgetary allocations.

“For a man campaigning to continue this woeful trajectory, we fully understand that Mr Adekanmbi will be grievously pained by the unveiling of a superior plan for the good people of Oyo State,” the statement said.

SSACO also faulted Adekanmbi’s argument that Alli’s manifesto lacked originality, insisting that the recurrence of certain policies in previous administrations did not diminish their importance.

“When did healthcare, education, employment, workers’ welfare and economic development cease being priorities?” it asked.

The organisation said the manifesto addressed the specific needs of Oyo residents and was backed by Alli’s record in public service and community leadership.

It cited his tenure as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government and his previous roles as Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff to former governor Rashidi Ladoja.

SSACO added that Alli’s experience as the senator representing Oyo South and his familiarity with the people gave him the credibility to deliver on his promises.

The campaign described Oyo AHEAD as a practical response to the state’s development challenges, saying it identified problems, proposed solutions and established measurable targets.

It challenged Adekanmbi to explain why shortcomings in existing primary healthcare centres should prevent a future administration from establishing better-equipped, adequately staffed and properly funded facilities.

The organisation also questioned the state’s reported 27th position in WAEC performance and the capacity of local governments to meet the needs of their communities.

SSACO urged voters to support Alli, whom it described as a trusted leader with the experience to deliver purposeful governance and people-oriented development across Oyo State.

…targets N150bn IGR, promises functional clinics in 351 wards

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has pledged to grant local government autonomy from his first day in office if elected in 2027.

Alli also promised to establish a N10 billion youth fund, increase the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) to N150 billion annually without imposing additional tax burdens on residents and businesses, and make Oyo one of the three leading state economies in the country.

He made the pledges on Tuesday while unveiling his manifesto, tagged My Pact, to stakeholders in Ibadan, the state capital.

The event was attended by representatives of community development associations, professional bodies, artisans, traders, political groups, labour unions and other stakeholders.

Alli said the manifesto was built around seven pillars under the acronym Oyo AHEAD, covering local government autonomy, infrastructure, healthcare, education and employment, agriculture and exports, the digital economy and security.

He said the agenda was designed to transform the state’s economy, improve public service delivery and ensure that residents across the 33 local government areas felt the impact of government.

“Oyo State is the largest piece of land in southern Nigeria. We have 351 wards in 33 councils, and about eight million people. A state like ours should be feeding the South-West and selling to the world,” he said.

The candidate lamented that the state generated less than N100 billion in IGR last year, while neighbouring Ogun State generated nearly three times that amount.

He also cited figures indicating that about 3.8 million residents lived in poverty, saying the state’s economic potential remained largely untapped.

“Our people work hard every day. With the right support, they can do far better,” he said.

Alli said his administration would pursue the N150 billion annual IGR target without increasing the tax burden on traders, residents and businesses.

“In every one of our 351 wards, there will be a clinic that works, a school that teaches, and a road that leads somewhere,” he said.

On infrastructure, he promised to complete ongoing road projects and construct access roads to farming communities to ease the movement of people and agricultural produce.

He said every new road would carry a 20-year warranty, while his administration would fully constitute the state electricity regulator and generate power for industrial and agricultural corridors.

The APC candidate also pledged to audit faulty transformers and replace them every six months, restore potable water supply to 100 communities and connect at least 100 rural communities to electricity for the first time.

He promised to expand the state’s bus fleet and modernise Pacesetter Transport Company.

On housing, Alli said his administration would work with the Federal Government and private investors to provide affordable homes for low- and middle-income earners.

In the health sector, he promised to build general hospitals in the six local government areas yet to have one and recruit more doctors and other health professionals.

He said vacancies in health facilities, including primary healthcare centres, would be filled as they arose, noting that 10 hospitals currently had no medical doctor.

Alli also pledged free health insurance for infants, pregnant women and residents aged 70 and above, with a target of increasing enrolment from 271,000 to 500,000 within his first two years in office.

On education, he promised to reduce class sizes to 30 pupils, recruit more teachers, improve school infrastructure and establish skills centres in every zone.

He added that an apprenticeship law would be enacted to strengthen vocational training and employment opportunities for young people.

To boost economic growth, Alli said his administration would establish industrial parks, revive the Oluyole Free Trade Zone and create a guarantee fund to improve small businesses’ access to credit.

The proposed N10 billion Oyo Youth Fund, he said, would support youth-led enterprises, while digital hubs would be established across the state’s five geopolitical zones.

He further pledged to revive farm settlements, provide insurance for 10,000 farmers and establish a produce board through the Oyo Export Council to support farmers and improve market access.

On security, Alli promised to review the state’s security architecture to ensure the protection of lives and property.

He also assured civil servants that salaries and entitlements would be paid as and when due, adding that workers would be provided with the tools and working environment needed to improve productivity.

The candidate said his manifesto represented a commitment to building a more prosperous, secure and inclusive Oyo State.

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, will on Tuesday unveil his development manifesto, Oyo AHEAD (Itayo Oyo), to stakeholders, outlining his vision for the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The presentation, scheduled for Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, opposite the main gate of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, is expected to bring together representatives of various sectors of the state.

A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, Bisi Oladele, said the event would mark the formal unveiling of Alli’s development blueprint for Oyo State.

According to the statement, the manifesto presentation will feature a sector-by-sector breakdown of the candidate’s proposed policies and programmes to address the state’s development challenges.

Stakeholders expected at the event include representatives of the organised private sector, labour unions, community development associations, farmers, students, artisans, academics, traders, women’s groups and non-indigenes.

All APC candidates for the 2027 elections, alongside party leaders, are also expected to attend.

The statement described Oyo AHEAD as a people-centred development agenda designed to improve the state’s development indicators and restore its pace-setting status.

The unveiling is expected to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to examine Alli’s proposed priorities and engage with his vision for the state.