Alli’s camp dismisses viral student video as ‘cheap political blackmail’
By Adejayan Gbenga
The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has dismissed the controversy surrounding a viral video involving the politician and students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
In a statement issued by the campaign office and made available to journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan, the organisation condemned attempts by some online platforms to sexualise and misrepresent the interaction.
The campaign explained that the students had visited Alli to seek his support for one of their programmes and also conduct an interview with him as part of their engagement.
According to the statement, the number of people at the venue exceeded the available seating capacity, prompting Alli to ask one of the students to sit on his lap so the interview could proceed.
The campaign described the action as a spontaneous and fatherly gesture, insisting that there was nothing sexual, suggestive or improper about the encounter and urging the public to disregard what it called misleading narratives surrounding the footage.
It accused those attempting to attach an inappropriate meaning to the interaction of exploiting a brief moment for political purposes, describing the development as an example of sensationalism and politically motivated distortion.
The organisation also appealed to media organisations and social media users to exercise responsibility when sharing the video, urging them to consider its full context rather than relying on selective footage or insinuations that could damage reputations.
The campaign organisation maintained that Alli remains focused on engaging young people, students and other stakeholders across Oyo State, adding that the 2027 governorship contest should centre on ideas, competence, development and the welfare of residents rather than what it described as “cheap political blackmail.”
