The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has questioned the engineering credentials of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the use of diesel-powered generators to operate streetlights installed by his administration.

The organisation also faulted the renovation of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, alleging that the facility failed to secure approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for Shooting Stars Sports Club to host a continental fixture.

The campaign organisation made the allegations in a statement on Saturday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, in response to a statement by Makinde on Friday in which the governor described Alli as a lawyer who had never practised in court.

Oladele said it was ironic that Makinde, who studied electrical engineering, had allegedly spent huge sums on streetlight infrastructure without providing what the organisation described as a sustainable power solution for the facilities.

He said, “It is a tragic irony that Governor Makinde, who studied electrical engineering, cannot devise a sustainable electricity solution for the streetlights installed with about N400bn of state funds by his government.

“Instead, the administration continues to power them with fuel-guzzling generators—an outdated, expensive and environmentally harmful arrangement funded from the public purse.”

The organisation argued that the state should have embraced solar-powered and energy-efficient streetlighting systems, particularly because, according to it, similar infrastructure installed by the previous administration had relied on solar power.

It questioned why the solar infrastructure and electric poles allegedly installed by Makinde’s predecessor were removed instead of being repaired or upgraded.

The statement said, “If not for the prime purpose of enriching self, cronies and deliberately wasting Oyo State funds, why will Governor Makinde destroy the solar infrastructures and electric poles installed by his predecessor instead of repairing and upgrading them to higher solar grade?

“To worsen the case, Makinde’s streetlight project has become dysfunctional, as load-shedding has become the only way the project operates.”

The campaign organisation said the situation raised questions about the governor’s priorities and management of public funds, adding that the performance of the streetlight project should be considered in assessing Makinde’s record as an electrical engineer.

The group also took aim at the Lekan Salami Stadium, saying the facility’s reported inability to secure CAF approval for Shooting Stars to host a continental fixture was an indication that the renovation had failed to meet expected standards.

It claimed that more than N5bn was committed to the stadium renovation, which was unveiled amid fanfare in 2021.

The statement queried, “What, then, did Governor Makinde renovate? Who certified the work, and why should Shooting Stars be forced to seek an alternative venue in Abeokuta, Ogun State after Oyo taxpayers had financed the reconstruction of their traditional home ground?”

According to the organisation, the development was an embarrassment to Shooting Stars, its supporters and residents of the state.

It said a stadium renovated at such a cost should be capable of meeting the standards required for continental football.

“From streetlights powered with generators to a refurbished stadium unsuitable for continental football, the evidence points to a government that spends heavily but delivers poorly,” the organisation said.

It urged the state government to prioritise infrastructure that would provide value for money rather than projects it described as being driven by ceremonies, publicity and political messaging.

The statement added, “The people of Oyo State deserve infrastructure that works, projects that provide value for money and a government capable of planning beyond ceremonies, billboards and political propaganda.

“Oyo State must move away from expensive improvisation and cosmetic governance that have become the order of the day under Makinde.

“Public projects must be designed and executed to serve the people—not merely to provide opportunities for political showmanship.”

The campaign organisation further claimed that Makinde’s repeated references to Alli in his public remarks showed that the APC governorship candidate remained a subject of concern to the governor.

It said nothing demonstrated this more than the governor’s alleged tendency to mention Alli whenever he had the opportunity to speak.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has supported widows from Apete, Awotan and neighbouring communities in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State with N10m, promising more interventions to improve their welfare and livelihoods.

Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, made the donation on Tuesday during an interaction with hundreds of widows at Awotan, Ibadan.

The meeting was part of his ongoing consultations across Oyo South ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at the event, Oseni said his support for widows, market women and other vulnerable members of society was not driven solely by politics, but by his personal conviction and faith.

According to him, his own experience of growing up under difficult circumstances had strengthened his resolve to support people facing hardship.

He said, “The more I give, the more God blesses me. I pray every day that God should give me more so that I can give more to society. My joy is to see people happy.”

Oseni also assured the women that he would continue to support initiatives aimed at improving their welfare, while urging them to remain active in their communities and engage other residents on issues affecting their lives.

He encouraged the women to take the message to the grassroots through house-to-house and street-to-street engagement, including interactions with market women, artisans and youths.

The lawmaker also solicited support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

Earlier, the coordinator of the widows, Mrs Comfort Adedeji, said widows should not be regarded as helpless, noting that many of them had continued to provide for their families despite the loss of their husbands.

Adedeji described the women as mothers, caregivers, traders, farmers and workers who had continued to shoulder the responsibilities of their households.

She commended Oseni for what she described as his support for the women and appealed to him and other stakeholders to pay greater attention to widows through empowerment programmes, skills acquisition, financial assistance and educational support for their children.

She said supporting widows was effectively an investment in entire families because of the responsibilities they carried.

“When you empower a widow, you are not helping only one woman; you are helping an entire family and securing the future of her children,” she said.

The women expressed appreciation for the intervention and urged the lawmaker to sustain support for them, particularly in areas of business development and livelihood assistance.

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by some members of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and suspected supporters of the Park Management System (PMS) to destroy and deface the campaign billboards and posters of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  governorship candidate in parts of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The campaign organisation, in a statement on Friday, alleged that a meeting was held earlier in the day around the Gbagi area of Ibadan, where plans to mobilise people to vandalise Alli’s campaign materials were allegedly discussed.

The statement, signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Bisi Oladele, named two individuals, identified as Hollified, also known as King of Boys, and Akin Owo, as allegedly being involved in the meeting.

The organisation further alleged that Egbeda, Ibadan North-East, Lagelu and Akinyele local government areas had been identified as major targets because of the number of Alli’s campaign billboards and posters in the areas.

“Our intelligence revealed that Egbeda, Ibadan North-East, Lagelu and Akinyele local government areas of Ibadan, where the APC gubernatorial candidate enjoys high domination of billboards and posters due to massive acceptance and love by the people, have been marked as primary targets,” the statement said.

The campaign organisation claimed that mobilisation was already underway for the alleged operation, which it said was planned for the early hours of Saturday.

It urged the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services in the state and other security agencies to investigate the allegation and take preventive measures to protect lives and property.

“We call on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Director of Department of State Services (DSS) in Oyo State and other security agencies to act fast, investigate this plot and ensure protection of lives and property, including campaign materials which are legally deployed,” it said.

The organisation also appealed to members and supporters of the APC to remain calm and avoid retaliation, stressing that no one should take the law into their own hands.

“We advise all APC members and supporters across the state to remain calm, law-abiding and resist provocation by miscreants who are in a desperate mood,” the statement added.

The campaign organisation accused its political opponents of attempting to use the alleged vandalism to create tension ahead of the 2027 elections.

It also called on Governor Seyi Makinde, whom it described as the chief security officer of the state, to caution his supporters against actions capable of disrupting peace in the state.

However, the allegations contained in the statement had not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

The organisation said the APC remained committed to issue-based campaigns and urged political parties and their supporters to focus on issues before the people of Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections.