Oyo senator’s campaign reacts to reported APM South-South vote of no confidence
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has said the reported rejection of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde by leaders of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in the South-South has reinforced its opposition to his presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The organisation described the development as a vindication of its position that Makinde’s presidential bid lacked the political foundation to succeed, alleging that the governor was using the ambition to negotiate a soft landing ahead of the next general elections.
The campaign organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, stated this in a statement on Wednesday, following a newspaper advertorial in which APM leaders in the South-South reportedly passed a vote of no confidence in the governor.
The APM leaders were quoted as accusing Makinde of lacking the substance, political will and focus to lead the party, while questioning his credibility and relationship with party members.
Reacting, Alli’s campaign organisation alleged that Makinde was pursuing a presidential ambition he knew would not succeed, claiming that his real objective was to weaken President Bola Tinubu’s political support in the South-West.
“The good news is that he will not only lose to President Tinubu in Oyo State, his lackey, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, whom he is desperate to install for an undemocratic third term, will be flatly defeated by Senator Sharafadeen Alli,” the statement said.
The organisation expressed confidence that Alli’s Oyo AHEAD agenda would accelerate development in the state, insisting that the senator offered a different political direction.
It also claimed that Makinde’s political camp was losing ground, citing the reported resignations of aides and the departure of some party leaders as signs of growing dissatisfaction within his camp.
The campaign organisation argued that the reported criticism from APM stakeholders in the South-South reflected concerns about Makinde’s relationship with party structures and political associates.
“If a man cannot manage his party in his own state, how can he manage Nigeria?” an APM leader from the South-South was quoted as asking during a meeting on Tuesday.
The statement further accused Makinde of disregarding established party structures and abandoning some of those who supported his emergence as governor in 2019 and his re-election in 2023.
It also pointed to what it described as repeated resignations from the governor’s cabinet in recent weeks, arguing that the developments raised questions about the state of his political support.
The organisation maintained that the reported position of the South-South APM leaders reinforced its criticism of Makinde’s presidential ambition, which it again described as “dead on arrival”.
