APM rally: Oyo residents have rejected Makinde, Adekanmbi — Alli camp

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has claimed that the poor turnout at the campaign flag-off of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo town showed that residents of the state had rejected Governor Seyi Makinde and the party’s governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi.

The organisation said the attendance at Saturday’s rally, held at Durbar Stadium, Oyo town, reflected the political challenges facing Makinde and Adekanmbi ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, SSACO described the rally as an embarrassing outing, despite months of planning and mobilisation of party members from the 33 local government areas of the state.

It also cited the absence of some APM candidates at the event, arguing that the development further exposed what it described as the party’s lack of grassroots support and widespread popularity in Oyo State.

Furthermore, the organisation accused Makinde of allegedly deploying state resources to support Adekanmbi’s governorship ambition and his own presidential aspiration, describing both political projects as unrealistic.

SSACO also alleged that residents were dissatisfied with the governor’s performance, particularly in agriculture, youth development, industrialisation and rural infrastructure. It accused the administration of neglecting rural roads and damaged bridges across the state, which it linked to what it described as ineffective local government councils.

Reacting to Makinde’s declaration at the rally that Nigerians would vote out the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, the campaign organisation urged the governor to focus on what it described as growing dissatisfaction with his administration. Makinde had expressed confidence that Nigerians would reject the APC and vote for the APM, while urging party members to intensify mobilisation ahead of the elections.

Meanwhile, SSACO said its principal, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, would allow local governments to operate independently if elected governor and align Oyo State with the Federal Government. It added that Alli would address what it described as the shortcomings of the Makinde administration since 2019 through his Oyo AHEAD agenda.