Oyo APC Campaign Threatens APM Gov Candidate With Defamation Suit

The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has threatened legal action against the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Bimbo Adekanmbi, over allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.

The organisation described the allegations as falsehoods intended to damage Alli’s reputation and undermine his growing political support ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, Bisi Oladele, the group accused Adekanmbi of distorting historical facts and exploiting past challenges in local government administration to score political points.

It said the allegations, reportedly made during a radio interview, reflected the opposition’s desperation to discredit Alli rather than engage voters with credible proposals for the development of Oyo State.

Defending Alli’s record as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, SSACO said the senator maintained prompt salary payments and prioritised workers’ welfare during his tenure, earning him an award from the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State.

The organisation explained that financial difficulties experienced by local governments following the Federal Military Government’s January 1993 policy on staff promotions and salary increases were nationwide challenges caused by inadequate allocations to implement the policy.

According to the statement, the crisis extended beyond Alli’s tenure and was subsequently addressed through institutional interventions, including the establishment of the National Primary Education Commission in 1997 and the introduction of first-line charges for teachers’ salaries by 1999.

Challenging Adekanmbi to produce the report allegedly backing his corruption claims, SSACO warned that failure to substantiate the allegations could attract a defamation suit.

The organisation accused Adekanmbi and his political associates of using historical administrative challenges to mislead the electorate, insisting that the allegations would not diminish Alli’s political standing.

It also criticised the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, accusing it of weakening local government administration and depriving residents of the benefits of effective grassroots governance.

The campaign organisation said Alli, if elected governor in 2027, would revitalise the state’s 33 local government areas by strengthening their administrative and financial capacities to deliver essential services.

It added that his priorities would include reconstructing feeder and access roads to ease the movement of people and goods and stimulate economic activities across the state.

SSACO expressed confidence that voters would reject Makinde and Adekanmbi in the 2027 elections, saying Alli’s campaign would focus on restoring effective grassroots governance.

It urged Adekanmbi to engage in issue-based political discourse rather than resort to what it described as attempts to rewrite history for partisan advantage.