2027 elections: Folarin declares support for Alli, seeks unity in Oyo APC

Former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin has declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Folarin made the declaration on Monday while addressing APC supporters at his residence in Oluyole, Ibadan, where he raised Alli’s hand in a show of support and urged aggrieved party members to set aside their differences and work for the party’s victory.

Acknowledging the grievances of aspirants who lost out in the party’s selection process, Folarin said their disappointment was understandable, given the years they had invested in pursuing their governorship ambitions.

“I have invested 26 years of my life in becoming governor. If I feel cheated, am I not expected to be angry?” he said, adding that aggrieved members deserved to be heard and appealed to.

Folarin expressed concern over the pace of reconciliation efforts by a committee led by Professor Taoheed Adedoja and Senator Femi Lanlehin, saying it had achieved only about 20 per cent of its target due to lingering grievances.

He disclosed that he had met with former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; Senator Abdulfatai Buhari; and former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan in Iyaganku, Ibadan, as part of efforts to resolve the party’s internal crisis.

The former senator urged APC members to rally behind Alli, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of the governorship candidate as coordinator of the Oyo State Presidential Campaign Council required him to work towards the success of all APC candidates in the state.

Folarin said the party must improve on its performance in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election and secure victory for its candidates in 2027. He also called for a review of the party’s reward system, insisting that members who contributed to its success should not be overlooked.