The campaign organisation of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, has accused Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi of making false allegations against the senator in a desperate attempt to damage his reputation ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The organisation, SSACO, said Adekanmbi was distorting historical facts to discredit Alli rather than engaging in meaningful discussions about the development of Oyo State.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Bisi Oladele, the campaign organisation described the allegations made by Adekanmbi during a radio interview as politically motivated, insisting that they would not erase Alli’s record in public office.

Defending the senator’s tenure as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, SSACO said Alli maintained prompt salary payments and prioritised workers’ welfare, earning recognition from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State.

The organisation argued that the financial difficulties experienced by local governments following the Federal Military Government’s January 1993 policy on staff promotions and salary increases were not peculiar to Alli’s administration.

According to the statement, the problem affected local governments across the country because of inadequate allocations to implement the policy. It added that the difficulties continued beyond Alli’s tenure and were later addressed through institutional measures, including the establishment of the National Primary Education Commission in 1997 and the introduction of first-line charges for teachers’ salaries by 1999.

SSACO accused Adekanmbi of using the historical challenges to create a misleading impression of Alli’s record, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the crisis should not be ignored in assessing the senator’s performance.

The organisation challenged Adekanmbi to produce the report on which he based his corruption allegation against Alli, warning that it would pursue legal action if the claims were found to be defamatory.

It maintained that public officials should be held accountable through verifiable facts, not allegations designed to damage political opponents, and insisted that Alli had nothing to fear from a fair examination of his record.

The campaign organisation also turned its attention to Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, accusing it of weakening local government administration and limiting the ability of councils to meet the needs of residents at the grassroots.

It said Alli would make the revitalisation of the state’s 33 local government areas a priority if elected governor in 2027.

According to SSACO, his proposed agenda would focus on strengthening the administrative and financial capacity of local councils, enabling them to deliver services more effectively and respond to the needs of their communities.

The organisation also identified the reconstruction of feeder and access roads as a priority, saying better road networks would ease the movement of people and goods, support farmers and traders, and open up more economic opportunities across the state.

SSACO expressed confidence in Alli’s prospects ahead of the 2027 election, insisting that its campaign would focus on his record, development plans and the need to restore effective grassroots governance.

It urged Adekanmbi to produce evidence to support his allegations and engage in substantive debate on the state’s future, rather than what it described as attempts to distort history for political advantage.

An All Progressives Congress chieftain in Oyo State, Hon. Ponmile Omidiji, has donated a brand-new bus to Ponmile Progressive Mobilization to strengthen the group’s activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Omidiji, who is the chairman of Ponmile Progressive Movement and Chief Executive Officer of Agbele Sporting Club, said the vehicle would facilitate members’ movement and help the group extend its grassroots mobilisation across the state.

Ponmile Progressive Mobilization operates as a subsidiary of Ponmile Progressive Movement under the motto, “Mobilizing for All Progressives Congress.”

The organisation said the bus would improve its capacity to reach communities, coordinate members and promote awareness of the APC’s programmes and agenda ahead of the 2027 polls.

Omidiji is a former National Financial Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and a former supervisor at the local government level during the administration of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

He also served as Deputy Youth Leader of the Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council during the 2023 election cycle.

The organisation said the vehicle would be deployed for outreach and other activities across Oyo State as preparations for the next general elections gather momentum.

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”.