Six of the 11 aspirants who participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Oyo State have rejected the party’s adoption of Senator Sharafadeen Alli as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The aspirants who took part in the primary include Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Dr. Adewale Kareem, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, Engineer Hakeem Alao, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, Dr. Ayobami Lam-Adesina, Prince Musibau Asanike, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Mr. Ololade Bakare and Senator Sharafadeen Alli.
Although the APC recently announced Alli as its governorship candidate, six of the contestants have openly rejected the decision.
The aggrieved aspirants—Engineer Hakeem Alao, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, Dr. Ayobami Lam-Adesina, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, Mr. Ololade Bakare and Barrister Musibau Asanike—argued that the party failed to follow due process in selecting its flagbearer.
According to them, the APC has yet to produce a valid governorship candidate because the process required under the Electoral Act has not been fully complied with.
The aspirants made their position known shortly after meeting with a reconciliation committee established to address grievances among party members. The committee was chaired by Senator Olufemi Lanlehin and Professor Taoheed Adedoja.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Engineer Hakeem Alao maintained that the party must first comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act before it can validly present a governorship candidate for the election.
Alao said, “We have intimated the committee of our grievances and we made our position known. Just like you have asked, that is there candidate, there is no candidate for now. And we have not fulfilled the provisions of the electoral law.
“We have made our position known to the committee and the committee is going to deliberate on it extensively. It is still a family. We are going to have a candidate at the end of the day.
“Whoever is picked at the end of the day, we are going to work with the person but as at now, we have no gubernatorial candidate in APC.”
BACKSTORY:
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has been preparing for the 2027 governorship election, with several prominent party members declaring interest in succeeding the state’s current leadership. The party’s governorship primary attracted 11 aspirants, reflecting intense competition for the APC ticket.
Following the conclusion of the primary process, the APC announced Senator Sharafadeen Alli as its governorship candidate. However, the announcement immediately sparked discontent among some of the aspirants, who questioned the process that led to his emergence.
The aggrieved aspirants argued that the party failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and insisted that the process for producing a valid governorship candidate had not been completed. They maintained that, until the legal requirements are fully met, the APC cannot be said to have a duly nominated candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
The disagreement persisted despite the intervention of a reconciliation committee headed by Senator Olufemi Lanlehin and Professor Taoheed Adedoja, which was set up to address grievances and foster unity within the party ahead of the election.
