APM dismisses low turnout claim, accuses opposition of panic over rally

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Oyo State Allied People’s Movement (APM) Campaign Council has dismissed criticism of its governorship campaign flag-off by the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate’s camp of panic over the rally’s turnout.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Co-Director of Media and Publicity of the Oyo State APM Campaign Council (OYSACC), Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, described SSACO’s claim that the rally was poorly attended as “the biggest political joke of the year”.

The council insisted that the campaign flag-off, held at Durbar Stadium, Oyo, on Saturday, attracted tens of thousands of supporters, party members, community leaders, youths, women and residents from across the state.

It also quoted the APM governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, as expressing confidence in his chances of defeating Alli in the February 6, 2027, governorship election. “I look forward to Senator Alli’s congratulatory message because he cannot escape defeat,” Adekanmbi said.

OYSACC further described SSACO’s reaction to the rally as evidence of anxiety over what it called Adekanmbi’s growing popularity and the increasing acceptance of the APM across the state. It questioned why the APC campaign organisation would devote an entire statement to an event it had dismissed as insignificant.

The council also maintained that the turnout reflected public support for Adekanmbi and the developmental agenda of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, accusing Alli’s camp of attempting to downplay the rally by questioning the size of the crowd.

Meanwhile, OYSACC challenged the APC campaign organisation to focus on policies and programmes rather than crowd sizes, urging it to address critical issues such as employment, infrastructure, security, agriculture and economic growth.

Describing SSACO’s reaction as “crowd-induced trauma”, the council reiterated its commitment to an issue-based campaign, adding that the APM was building momentum ahead of the 2027 election. It urged political actors to concentrate on presenting policies and solutions to the people of Oyo State.