- A group of All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Oyo State has named Senator Sharafadeen Alli as their preferred governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
- Supporters of Adebayo Adelabu, the immediate past Minister of Power, have declared the endorsement “null and void,” warning it could undermine party unity.
- Pro-Alli leaders claim the decision was strengthened by consultations with President Bola Tinubu, though rival factions dispute this as a misrepresentation of the President’s position.
- Factional leaders and state executive members argue that no official party primary or consensus meeting has occurred, noting that four aspirants have already obtained nomination forms.
Internal tensions within the Oyo State chapter of the APC flared on Friday following a “high-level leadership summit” in Samonda, Ibadan, where prominent stakeholders announced Sharafadeen Alli as their consensus candidate.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the move, intended to mirror successful consensus arrangements in Lagos and Ogun states, has instead triggered a sharp divide within the party’s ranks.
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Led by figures such as former Senator Ayo Adeseun and Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, the pro-Alli group argued that wide consultations across all 33 local government areas informed their choice.
Adeseun asserted that President Tinubu had expressed support for Alli, emphasizing that the President’s guidance remains a primary factor in the selection process.
Alli welcomed the endorsement, promising inclusive governance and thanking party leaders for their confidence.
Supporters of Adebayo Adelabu, spearheaded by Tade Akinjobi, quickly moved to discredit the announcement.
They argued that such a “unilateral” endorsement by a single group ignores established party procedures and marginalizes other aspirants who have already made financial commitments by purchasing forms.
Akinjobi cautioned that using the President’s name to “legitimize factional endorsements” was inappropriate and warned that the party is currently “sitting on a keg of gunpowder”.
The state executive committee has largely distanced itself from the summit.
An anonymous executive source noted that the state chairman did not preside over the meeting and that the official party structure had not yet announced any preferred mode of primary or consensus.
The source questioned how a consensus could be reached without consulting all aspirants, stressing that only the recognized party leadership can formally ratify a candidate.
