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 what it described as a desperate attempt to undermine his political standing ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The organisation, known as SSACO, dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, insisting that Adekanmbi was distorting historical facts to discredit Alli rather than engaging in constructive discussions on the development of Oyo State.
In a statement issued on Saturday, SSACO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Bisi Oladele, said the allegations made during a radio interview were intended to mislead the public and damage the APC candidate’s reputation.
Oladele maintained that Alli’s record in public office, particularly during his tenure as Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, contradicted the claims being circulated against him.
According to the statement, Alli prioritised workers’ welfare and maintained prompt salary payments during his tenure, a performance that reportedly earned him recognition from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State.
The campaign organisation also challenged the account of local government financial difficulties presented by Adekanmbi, arguing that the challenges surrounding workers’ salaries and promotions during the period were not peculiar to Alli’s administration.
It attributed the difficulties to a January 1993 policy of the Federal Military Government on staff promotions and salary increases, which it said placed financial pressure on local governments nationwide because of inadequate allocations to implement the policy.
SSACO further argued that the challenges continued beyond Alli’s tenure and were 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.
The organisation urged Adekanmbi to produce the report on which he based his corruption allegations against Alli, threatening legal action over what it described as defamatory claims.
Oladele accused Adekanmbi and his political associates of exploiting historical challenges for partisan purposes, insisting that the allegations would not diminish the senator’s political influence or public acceptance.
SSACO Takes Aim at Makinde’s Local Government Administration
Beyond its response to Adekanmbi, the campaign organisation criticised the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, accusing it of weakening local government administration and limiting the capacity of councils to deliver essential services to residents.
It argued that effective grassroots governance remained critical to improving living conditions across Oyo State, stressing that local governments should have the administrative and financial capacity to respond to the needs of their communities.
According to the statement, Alli would prioritise the revitalisation of the state’s 33 local government areas if elected governor in 2027, with a focus on strengthening their operational capacity and improving service delivery.
The organisation also identified the reconstruction of feeder and access roads as one of the proposed priorities of Alli’s campaign, saying improved road infrastructure would ease the movement of people and goods while stimulating economic activities across the state.
SSACO expressed confidence that voters would make their decisions based on governance records and policy proposals in the 2027 elections, while urging Adekanmbi to focus on issue-based political engagement rather than what it described as attempts to distort history for partisan advantage.
The allegations against Adekanmbi and the criticisms of the Makinde administration represent the campaign organisation’s position. The statement did not include a response from Adekanmbi to the accusations or from the state government to the claims concerning local government administration.
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