The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State has defended its governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, against comments by Governor Seyi Makinde while also questioning the governor’s record on infrastructure and public spending.
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The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation made its position known on Saturday while responding to comments Makinde made about Alli during a recent public appearance.
The campaign organisation, through its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, also explained Alli’s background as a legal practitioner and rejected the governor’s claim that the APC candidate had little or no courtroom experience.
The organisation said Alli began his legal career in 1987 during his National Youth Service Corps programme with A. E. Enumah & Associates in Nnewi, Anambra State. It said he later worked with R. A. Sarumi & Co. Solicitors, Advocates and Notary Public before moving into public service.
According to the organisation, Alli was elected as the first executive chairman of Ibadan North Local Government in 1991 and later established Biodun Alli & Co., a law firm in Ibadan, in 1994.
The campaign team said Alli remained the principal partner of the firm and had handled legal matters involving property transactions, corporate services and other areas of legal practice before moving further into politics and public service.
It added that Alli’s legal records could be verified through relevant professional and corporate bodies.
The APC campaign organisation also turned its attention to Makinde’s record as an engineer and questioned the way streetlights across the state were being powered.
It alleged that the state government had spent a large amount of public money on streetlight projects while relying on fuel-powered generators to operate some of the installations.
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The organisation argued that the continued use of generators was costly and less sustainable than alternatives such as solar-powered streetlights. It also claimed that solar infrastructure installed under the previous administration had been replaced or abandoned instead of being repaired and improved.
The group said the condition of some of the streetlight installations raised questions about the planning and management of public funds by the state government.
It further criticised the renovation of the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Ibadan, claiming that the facility failed to secure approval from the Confederation of African Football, CAF, for Shooting Stars Sports Club to host a continental match.
The organisation said the stadium renovation had cost the state government more than N5bn and questioned why the facility could not meet the requirements for international football competitions after the project was completed.
It also questioned who certified the renovation and why Shooting Stars would have to use another venue outside Oyo State for a continental fixture.
The campaign organisation argued that the issues surrounding the streetlights and stadium were examples of projects that, in its view, required closer attention to cost, quality and long-term usefulness.
It said residents of Oyo State deserved infrastructure that would function properly and provide value for public funds.
The group also accused Makinde of repeatedly referring to Alli during public engagements, saying the governor’s continued mention of the APC candidate showed that Alli had become an important part of the political conversation ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The APC campaign organisation said the exchange between Makinde and Alli was part of the growing political contest in Oyo State as political parties prepare for the 2027 election.
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