2027: Oyo APC alleges attack plot, APM denies accusation

By Adejayan Gbenga

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by suspected hoodlums to attack supporters of its governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, ahead of the 2027 general election.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), Bisi Oladele, in Ibadan. The organisation accused suspected supporters of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, and Governor Seyi Makinde of planning attacks on members of the Park Management System and other APC supporters.

SSACO alleged that the planned attacks were intended to intimidate opposition members and weaken the party’s support base across the state. It claimed that the plot followed previous attacks, including one that reportedly led to the death of an APC member in Ibadan in October, while several others had sustained injuries in similar incidents over the past two months.

The campaign organisation also alleged that Alli’s campaign billboards were being vandalised in parts of the state, accusing agents of the state government of targeting billboard owners who rented advertising spaces to the APC candidate. It further claimed that suspected hoodlums were targeting members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) supporting the APC, particularly a prominent member identified as Oyere and his followers.

According to the statement, suspected attackers monitored APC supporters during Alli’s manifesto unveiling at Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall in Ibadan last Tuesday, where names of transport union members who recently joined the party were allegedly identified. SSACO further claimed that a meeting held around 10 p.m. on Friday, involving a key member of Makinde’s political circle, discussed plans to attack APC-supporting transport workers and disrupt their weekly meetings.

Consequently, the organisation called on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to investigate the allegations and prevent a breakdown of law and order. It warned that political disagreements should not degenerate into violence as activities ahead of the 2027 elections gather momentum.

However, the APM rejected the allegations, describing them as an attempt by the APC and its campaign organisation to distract residents from governance issues. In a statement issued by the Director of Communication and Spokesperson of its Governorship Campaign Council, Yinka Oladoyinbo, the party said Makinde and Adekanmbi had consistently demonstrated their commitment to peace and tranquillity in the state.

The APM argued that the peaceful coexistence among residents of different backgrounds since the present administration assumed office in 2019 demonstrated its commitment to stability. It dismissed the APC’s claims as spurious, insisting that the party and its candidate had nothing to fear ahead of the next general election, as residents were ready to express their preferences through the ballot in 2027.