Ex-Senate Leader pledges support for Tinubu, other party candidates in 2027

Former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin has declared support for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, pledging to unite aggrieved party leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Folarin made the declaration on Monday when Alli visited him in Ibadan as part of efforts to reconcile party members dissatisfied with the outcome of the APC governorship primary.

Folarin, who was among the party chieftains believed to be aggrieved over the emergence of Alli as the candidate, said he had decided to move forward, expressing confidence that other aggrieved leaders would eventually join hands with the party to secure victory.

Addressing Alli and other supporters in Yoruba, the former lawmaker acknowledged the grievances within the party, arguing that those who felt hurt could not simply be expected to set aside their differences without genuine efforts to address their concerns.

He said, “Only a bastard will be wronged and will not be angry. In the same way, only a bastard will reject apologies from those who wronged him.”

Folarin explained that his disappointment was understandable, having invested 26 years in his ambition to become governor, but said the party could not afford to allow its internal disagreements to jeopardise its electoral chances.

“If you now hold me down and say I shouldn’t be angry, that will be unrealistic,” he said.

He commended Senator Femi Lanlehin and Professor Taoheed Adedoja for their roles in the reconciliation process but argued that their efforts would yield limited results without the involvement of influential leaders who were themselves aggrieved.

According to him, the party must act quickly to resolve its differences before the disagreements cause further damage.

“What do we stand to gain if we allow things to collapse totally?” he asked.

Folarin also acknowledged the contributions of an APC chieftain, Idris, to the reconciliation efforts, saying the need to protect the party’s future had made it necessary for leaders to reconsider their positions.

He urged party members to put the disagreements behind them and focus on the task ahead, stressing that political differences should not prevent members from working towards a common goal.

The former lawmaker disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had appointed him as the coordinator of the APC’s activities in Oyo State, adding that his responsibility extended beyond the presidential election to all party candidates.

“You will notice that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed me as Coordinator of Oyo State. He didn’t ask me to deliver President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only. It is all the candidates,” he said.

Folarin pledged to use his knowledge of the party’s internal dynamics to reach out to aggrieved members across the state’s local government areas.

He, however, warned that the party must address complaints about the treatment of loyal members, lamenting that those who worked for electoral victories were often overlooked when rewards were distributed.

“The reward system in this party, not just in Oyo State, is very bad. When we finish working, the people who did nothing are the ones who get rewarded. That will not happen again. We will not accept it,” he said.

On Alli’s candidacy, Folarin said the manner in which the ticket emerged had contributed to the discontent among some party leaders but maintained that the candidate had the political experience needed for the contest.

He urged Alli to ensure that party members who contributed to the APC’s success were not sidelined.

“Our candidate, Sharafadeen Alli, is a politician. It was the manner in which his candidacy emerged that made some people to be aggrieved. But if we put that aside, he is a politician,” he said.

Folarin added that established party members and newer political actors must combine their efforts to secure victory for the APC in the state.

He also challenged party members to improve on the votes recorded for Tinubu in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election.

“The votes we gave Asiwaju Tinubu in 2023, we must improve on it this time around,” he said.

He assured supporters that he would not take the responsibility entrusted to him lightly, urging them to see the assignment as a collective duty.

“I do not like to fail when I take on a responsibility. The task entrusted to me has also been entrusted to all of us,” he said.

Victim killed a day before 35th birthday over alleged defection,  urges Oyo elders to caution Makinde, Adekanmbi

An All Progressives Congress (APC) member in Ibadan, Oyo State, Ridwan, popularly known as Paul Moor, has been allegedly macheted to death, with the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation accusing suspected Allied People’s Movement (APM) supporters of carrying out the attack.

The victim was reportedly killed on Friday, a day before his 35th birthday, over his defection from the APM to the APC, according to the campaign organisation.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) condemned the killing and called on elders across Oyo State to intervene to prevent further political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The organisation also urged Governor Seyi Makinde and the APM governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, to caution their supporters against attacks on political opponents.

Expressing outrage over the incident, SSACO said political differences should not cost anyone their life, warning that the state must not be allowed to descend into violence as political activities gather momentum ahead of the elections.

The statement read, “The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) was gripped with horror as an APC member in Ward 6, Ibadan South-West Local Government, Ridwan, popularly known with the nickname Paul Moor, was macheted to death by APM hoodlums on Friday.

“The young man was gruesomely murdered for defecting from APM to APC, only 24 hours to his 35th birthday.”
The organisation described the killing as the latest in a series of alleged attacks on opposition figures in the state within the last two weeks.

It recalled that Senator Alli’s wife, Alhaja Tawakalit Alli, was allegedly attacked during a free medical outreach she organised last week.

SSACO also alleged that Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo, the APC candidate for Ibadan North-West/South-West Federal Constituency, was attacked during a campaign, while the campaign train of Hon. Remi Oseni, the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, was also attacked on the same day.

The organisation further alleged that the campaign team of Accord Party governorship candidate, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, was attacked at Molete, Ibadan, during a campaign.

Condemning the reported incidents, SSACO said, “These ugly attacks and killing of opposition members in Oyo State are anti-democratic, senseless and unacceptable.”

It added that the constitutional rights of Nigerians to freedom of association and expression must be respected, irrespective of their political affiliations.

“Governor Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi must always remember this fact. The state must not descend to bloodshed by their directive,” the statement said.

The organisation urged the governor and the APM candidate to prevail on their supporters to desist from violence, stressing that no political ambition justified the killing of a citizen.

It said, “The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation wishes to remind Governor Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi that Oyo State belongs to all citizens and residents, not just APM members.”
SSACO also called on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to investigate the killing, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

“We call on the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State and other security agencies to fish out these murderers and bring them to justice. Oyo State people deserve a peaceful campaign,” the statement added.

The organisation said Senator Alli would sustain his issue-based campaign ahead of the 2027 elections and urged other political parties to embrace peaceful political engagement.

• Tompolo donates 32 campaign vehicles to APC movement

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) n Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has promised to grant local governments and local council development areas autonomy from the first day of his administration if elected governor in 2027.

Alli gave the assurance on Thursday at the inauguration of the Oyo State chapter of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, where 32 campaign vehicles donated by the group’s Grand Patron, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, were unveiled at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado, Ibadan.

The APC candidate said the autonomy would take effect on May 29, 2027, the day he would be sworn in if he wins the governorship election.

“All our LCDAs and LGs will have autonomy on the day we are sworn in on May 29, 2027,” Alli declared.

The promise puts local government administration at the centre of Alli’s campaign message as the APC intensifies efforts to regain control of Oyo State in the 2027 elections.

The candidate also thanked Tompolo for providing the vehicles, assuring the movement that they would be put to judicious use in mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates.

“We are very grateful. We know all your efforts towards ensuring that President Bola Tinubu is re-elected in 2027. I want to assure you that we will make judicious use of these vehicles and other items that may be donated by you and other support groups,” he said.

Alli said the APC was determined to return to power in Oyo State, having remained out of government in the state for several years.
“We have stayed out of government in Oyo State for too long, and we are working assiduously to ensure we take over the government in 2027,” he said.
He added that the party was working towards securing victory in the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections.

Recalling the 2023 presidential election, Alli said Oyo State recorded the highest number of votes for Tinubu in the South-West, expressing the party’s ambition to improve on that performance in 2027.

He urged eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and turn out early on election day to vote for APC candidates.

Speaking on behalf of Tompolo, Chief Kestin Pondi said the donation of the 32 vehicles was intended to strengthen grassroots mobilisation for Tinubu and other APC candidates in the state.

Pondi expressed support for the President’s economic reforms, describing the measures as necessary sacrifices for the country’s long-term development.

“We will vote for President Tinubu to continue his reforms,” he said.
He acknowledged that reforms could be difficult in their early stages but argued that their benefits would be felt in the future.

“Reforms are never easy in the beginning. That is what we are all experiencing now. But we will enjoy later. We must pay the sacrifice today for our children to enjoy in the future,” Pondi added.

He urged residents to support Tinubu, Alli and other APC candidates, saying the movement would intensify its grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.

The National Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Comrade Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, also called on supporters to mobilise voters across communities in the state.
Asuku said the time had come for the electorate to choose their leaders, urging eligible voters to collect their PVCs and participate in the electoral process.
“The time has come to elect our leaders. Some people are ganging up against your son. Yoruba, ronu o,” he said.
He also urged party supporters to embark on door-to-door campaigns to persuade voters to support the APC candidates.

In his remarks, the APC chairman for Oyo Central Senatorial District, Dr Joshua Oyebanji, who represented the party’s state chairman, Chief Moses Adeyemo, thanked Tompolo for the donation.
Oyebanji expressed confidence in the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections, saying the APC intended to contest all levels of elective offices, from the presidency to the governorship and legislative seats.

He added that the party would soon commence full-scale campaigns and urged members to remain committed to its mobilisation efforts.

The Oyo State Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Akinjide Kazeem Akinola, said the group was targeting a stronger electoral performance for Tinubu in the state.

“Oyo State gave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the highest vote in the South-West in 2023. We will give the president the highest vote in Nigeria in 2027. Let us work hard to achieve this,” Akinola said.