The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has mocked Governor Seyi Makinde and the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, over the poor turnout recorded at the party’s campaign flag-off in Oyo town on Saturday.

The organisation described the attendance at the rally as a sign of the alleged declining popularity of the party and predicted that Adekanmbi would struggle to secure widespread support in the 2027 governorship election.

The rally, held at Durbar Stadium, Oyo, was organised to formally kick-start Adekanmbi’s governorship campaign and that of other APM candidates contesting National and State Assembly seats.

However, SSACO said the turnout fell short of expectations, despite months of planning and mobilisation across the 33 local government areas of the state. It also pointed to the absence of some candidates as evidence of what it described as the party’s weak grassroots appeal.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, the organisation said the rally had exposed the political challenges confronting Makinde and Adekanmbi ahead of the next general elections.
SSACO alleged that the governor was deploying state resources to support Adekanmbi’s ambition and pursue what it described as an unrealistic presidential project.

It said, “The embarrassing poor attendance at the Oyo State APM governorship campaign flag-off in Oyo town on Saturday was another confirmation that Oyo State people have rejected the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, and his sponsor, Governor Seyi Makinde.”

The organisation argued that the alleged poor performance of the state government in agriculture, youth development, industrialisation and rural infrastructure could affect the political fortunes of the governor’s preferred candidate.

It also accused the Makinde administration of neglecting rural roads and damaged bridges, blaming the situation on what it described as the paralysis of local government councils.

SSACO further said the people of the state would not forget what it called the failure of the government to deliver meaningful democratic dividends during its seven-and-a-half years in office.

The statement added, “Governor Seyi Makinde told the little crowd that Nigerians would show the APC what it had never seen before in the 2027 elections.

“Ironically, the people of Oyo State used Saturday’s campaign to tell Governor Makinde what he was not ready to hear: Your time is over; therefore, your stooge does not stand a chance.”

The organisation said its principal, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, would adopt a different approach to governance if elected governor in 2027.

According to SSACO, Alli’s Oyo AHEAD agenda would prioritise functional local government administration, cooperation with the Federal Government and efforts to address what it described as the shortcomings of the Makinde administration since 2019.

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has launched a scathing attack on Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, describing him as clueless about economic development and accusing him of wasting the opportunity provided by increased federal allocations to industrialise the state, create jobs and improve the living conditions of residents.

The organisation said Makinde’s recent interview on a national television station exposed his inability to explain how his administration had translated the huge financial resources available to the state into productive economic activities, despite receiving about N145bn and N214bn in federal allocations in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, SSACO said it was shameful that the governor, despite benefiting from the increased allocations arising from President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms since 2023, could not point to a clear industrialisation strategy capable of creating jobs and generating wealth for the people.

It accused Makinde of attempting to downplay the significant increase in federal allocations while arguing that what mattered was building a productive economy.

The organisation, however, challenged the governor to explain why the increased resources at his disposal had not translated into a thriving industrial sector, stronger business activities and improved economic opportunities across the state.

“It is shameful that Governor Makinde tried in vain to downplay the triple and sometimes quadruple federal allocations accruing to Oyo State since 2023 by reason of President Tinubu’s reforms, insisting that what matters is productive economy.

“He has failed to apply the funds appropriately to create the right environment for industrialisation and activities that will provide jobs and enable the people of Oyo State to create wealth.

“It is a sign of cluelessness to have huge funds and have no idea how to use them to enable productive economic activities. If President Tinubu’s reforms deliver the money, should he be the one to teach Governor Makinde how to utilise it for the benefit of the people of Oyo State?” the statement asked.

SSACO also accused the governor of mismanaging the state’s electricity intervention, alleging that N8.5bn was spent on a failed electricity project while he continued to criticise the Tinubu administration over the country’s power challenges.

It said Makinde had failed to take advantage of the Electricity Act 2023, signed by President Tinubu, which opened up opportunities for states to participate in electricity generation and distribution.

According to the organisation, states such as Lagos, Ekiti and Abia have taken steps to explore the opportunities provided by the legislation, while Oyo has failed to make comparable progress in providing reliable electricity for industries, businesses and households.
The campaign organisation described the situation as a contradiction, accusing Makinde of criticising the Federal Government over electricity supply while failing to deliver an effective alternative for residents and businesses in his own state.

“It is disheartening that Governor Makinde spent N8.5bn of those increased federal allocations on a failed electricity project while he criticises President Tinubu for not fixing electricity.

“While states like Lagos, Ekiti and Abia have taken advantage of the Electricity Act 2023 to liberalise electricity generation and distribution, among others, Governor Makinde has failed woefully to act in the same manner to provide electricity to industries, other businesses and households.

“It is laughable that a man who cannot reset the Oyo State economy is grandstanding as a man who can reset Nigeria. Oyo State people definitely deserve a better governor than Makinde,” SSACO said.

The organisation said Senator Sharafadeen Alli, if elected governor in 2027, would reverse what it described as the economic failures of the Makinde administration through his Oyo AHEAD agenda.

It listed the proposed policies to include the establishment of a state electricity regulatory framework, investment in solar energy, provision of low-interest funding for the organised private sector, revival of the Free Trade Zone and the establishment of a N10bn youth development fund.

SSACO said the proposed interventions would stimulate industrial activities, support businesses, expand employment opportunities and create an enabling environment for wealth generation.
It further argued that Alli’s alignment with the Federal Government would position Oyo State to attract greater developmental benefits and investment opportunities.

The organisation urged residents to make the right political choice in the 2027 governorship election, insisting that the state needed a governor with the vision and capacity to convert available resources into tangible economic development.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has reportedly begun a series of meetings with members of his cabinet and key political stakeholders in the Allied Peoples Movement in a bid to address the wave of defections and resignations affecting his political camp.

The meetings, according to sources within the camp, are aimed at addressing growing discontent among party members and preventing further departures ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The development follows the recent defection of several prominent politicians from Ogbomoso zone to the All Progressives Congress, a move that has reportedly unsettled the governor’s political associates.

Among those who recently left the governor’s camp are his Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi; Alhaji Rasak Gbadegesin, popularly known as Agbeti; Timothy Oyeniyi; Alabi Olateju; Isaiah Adegbite; Peter Oyetunji; and Jimoh Sikiru, the APM chairman in Ogbomoso North.

Several other political figures and local government representatives from Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Surulere and Ogo-Oluwa have also reportedly joined the APC.

The latest developments came on the heels of a series of resignations from the Makinde administration.

The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ayobami Oluwaseun Ojo, and the ministry’s Special Adviser, Simeon Adegbola Oyeleke, resigned their appointments with effect from November 2.

While Ojo did not publicly disclose the reason for his resignation, Oyeleke reportedly cited dissatisfaction with the working environment, saying it had become increasingly difficult to represent the aspirations of his people while serving in government.

Also, Sunday Olugbenga Falana resigned from the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve without publicly stating his reason for leaving.

The Director-General of the Due Process Office, Tara Adefope, also reportedly left the administration.

Other prominent political figures who have parted ways with the governor include the Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council, Hosea Agboola, popularly known as Alleluyah; former Deputy Governor, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; and Alhaji Bisi Olopoeniyan.

Agboola and Arapaja have since moved into the APC.

The departures have also affected some of the governor’s political strategists. They include former Political Adviser to the governor, Chief Babatunde Oduyoye, and his former Special Adviser on Security, Fatai Owoseni.

Their exits have reportedly raised concerns among members of the governor’s political circle about the strength of the structures that have supported his administration and political activities.

Worried by the growing number of departures, Makinde is said to have intensified consultations with members of his cabinet, party leaders and remaining loyalists in an effort to prevent further defections.

Sources familiar with the meetings disclosed that the governor had been holding consultations with some of his associates and aggrieved stakeholders at his residences in Ikolaba and Kolapo Ishola Estate, Ibadan.

At one of the meetings, which reportedly brought together members of his diminishing inner circle, Makinde was said to have expressed concern about the trend and sought suggestions on how to retain those still within the party.

A source familiar with the discussions said the governor wanted to know what could be done to prevent further defections and protect the party’s position ahead of the next governorship election.

The source added that the meetings also provided an opportunity for some attendees to express their grievances over what they considered the causes of the crisis.

According to the source, some participants blamed the situation on the governor’s alleged unilateral decision to settle for Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

Others reportedly criticised some policies of the administration, which they believed had generated negative public reactions and contributed to the growing discontent within the political camp.

The latest meeting, which reportedly lasted until the early hours of Thursday, ended without any clearly defined strategy to address the situation.

A source at the meeting said some participants expressed the fear that more political figures could still leave the camp if the grievances were not addressed.