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.

The immediate past Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Segun Ogunwuyi, on Tuesday led 32 other political chieftains of the Allied Peoples Movement to the All Progressives Congress, in a major political realignment in Ogbomoso.

The defection, which took place at Oja’gbo, in front of Soun Ogunlola Hall, attracted a large crowd of APC members and supporters, forcing a disruption of vehicular movement in the area for more than three hours.

The defectors included Alhaji Rasak Gbadegesin, popularly known as Agbeti; Timothy Oyeniyi; Alabi Olateju; Dr Banji Folaranmi; Isaiah Adegbite; Peter Oyetunji; and the APM Chairman in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area, Jimoh Sikiru.

Also in the group were council secretaries, chiefs of staff, supervisory councillors and special assistants serving in Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Surulere and Ogo-Oluwa local government areas.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Ogunwuyi said they joined the APC to contribute to the party’s growth and strengthen its chances in the 2027 general elections.

He expressed confidence that the APC would win convincingly in Ogbomoso, adding that the new members were ready to work for the party’s success.

The APC State Chairman, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, welcomed the defectors and assured them of equal opportunities in the party.

He urged them to close ranks with existing members and work towards the victory of APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

Explaining his decision to leave the APM, Folaranmi accused the party of being run as a one-man organisation, alleging that Makinde was the only person effectively running its affairs.

The APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, described the defection as a significant blow to the APM, saying the departure of Ogunwuyi and other political figures showed that the party was losing influential members.

He said, “For the likes of Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi, Alhaji Rasak Agbeti and other politicians of substance to abandon Governor Makinde, it means a lot.

“I use this medium to tell the few ones who are still there to leave now and join us in the APC.”

The development is expected to give the APC a boost in its grassroots mobilisation across Ogbomoso and neighbouring communities ahead of the 2027 elections.

It also comes as political parties intensify their preparations for the governorship contest, with Alli seeking to consolidate the APC’s influence across the state and challenge the political structure of the ruling party.

The defection is particularly significant for the APC’s Oyo South political calculations, as Ogunwuyi and other defectors are expected to bring their political networks and grassroots connections into the opposition party.

Among the APC leaders who attended the rally were former senators Ayoade Adeseun and Brimoh Yusuf; former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Olagunju Ojo; former APC state chairman, Akin Oke; Kemi Alao-Akala; Bashiru Akataapa; Aderemi Adepoju; and Abiodun Adeyemo, popularly known as Obadoba.

Members of the Oyo APC State Executive Committee were also present.
The Director-General of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Council, Asiwaju Yemi Aderibigbe, and his deputy, Sola Ogunbode, attended the event.

Other political figures at the rally included the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji; Hannah Ogunesan; Segun Odebunmi; and Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala.