Oyo APC gains ground as Obidient Movement leader Sunday Oni joins party, endorses Alli, others

The leader of the Obidient Movement and a pillar of the Labour Party in Oyo State, Mr Sunday Oni, has led thousands of his followers and supporters into the All Progressives Congress (APC), pledging to work with all stakeholders to ensure victory for the party’s candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Oni was received into the party in Ibadan on Wednesday by the APC State Chairman, Chief Moses Adeyemo; the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Senator Sharafadeen Alli; and other APC leaders, including Hon Aderemi Oseni, the party’s candidate for the Oyo South Senatorial District.

Addressing the mammoth crowd at the event, Oni disclosed that he played a key role in the alliance that supported Governor Seyi Makinde in the 2023 election but later regretted his decision.

He said the governor failed to fulfil all the agreements he reached with members of the Labour Party, despite their sacrifices and risks during the election.

He said: “Everyone out there appreciates the fact that our Obidient Movement is strong and virile, going by what we were able to do for the LP presidential candidate in 2023, Mr Peter Obi, despite all odds. But this time round, our efforts will be channelled towards the cause of all APC candidates, including President Bola Tinubu, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Hon Remi Oseni and all others.

“We are swinging into action immediately, and I make bold to say that the crowd of LP and Obedient Movement members you are seeing here is just a small fraction of our entire population, which cuts across the 33 local government councils in the state.

“We are not here for the fun of it. We are poised to add value, and our impact shall be greatly felt in the areas of mobilisation and sensitisation of voters in favour of the APC.”

Speaking, Alli eulogised Oni and other promoters of the Obidient Movement in the state for taking what he described as a bold step to join the APC, which he described as the only party capable of accommodating patriots across all strata of society for the purpose of leadership service, democratic growth, development and good governance.

“Apart from the fact that I grew up on the streets of Ibadan, I have always been conversant with happenings in our dear state for close to 50 years of my adult life. With my high level of experience, expertise and zeal, Oyo State under me as governor from May 29, 2027, would witness a great measure of turnaround such that it would rank among the best three in the country in no time.

“The youth population will be actively involved in everything we do as a government. Our deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji, will be given the opportunity to work in favour of the youth population, which he represents, while workers, pensioners and other people in the state will have every cause to be comfortable and happy,” Alli stated.

APC leaders who attended the event included Rt. Hon. Asimiyu Niran Alarape, Alhaji Taofeek Lamidi, Hon Fatai Adesina, Dr Adekemi Opatunde, Hon Yemi Aderibigbe, Hon Sola Ogunbode, Hon. Olawale Sadare, Hon Tunde Oloyede, Alhaji Shina Alabi, Hon Sunday Aborisade, Hon Tunde Elegbede and Comrade Olalekan Oladejo.

Re: Adekambi vs Alli: Dr. Olanrewaju’s Descent To Soliloquizing

By Sola Abegunde

I have read Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju’s piece titled ” Adekambi vs Alli: Between Substance And Sensationalism” and it offers me a lot of entertainment.

Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju is a seasoned Journalist no doubt. Very brilliant mind, but, he needs a lecture on politics and governance.

No matter how educated or professional you could be, if you lack basic knowledge about raw politics and governance at different tiers of Government, you are bound to struggle like a fish out of the water each time you attempt to defend certain positions.

Very obviously, Dr. Olanrewaju doesn’t know how a Local Government should operate on a normal situation, even, before the Judgment of the Supreme Court obtained by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

I will refer Dr. Olanrewaju to a document titled ” Financial Memorandum for Local Governments”.

That document speaks to how funds belonging to the Local Governments could be legally spent.

It will also provide accurate information about the roles and powers of the Local Government Chairmen, Head of Local Government Administration, the Finance and General Purposes Committee, F&GPC, how approvals for funds, projects and how contracts are signed at the Local Government level.

Had it been that Dr. Olanrewaju had proper information, I am sure that he wouldn’t have advertised his ignorance the way he did, in the argument about Financial autonomy for Local Governments which Senator Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli is promising.

He would also have known that his Principal, Governor Seyi Makinde had been engaged in criminal activities in the manner he had been withdrawing and spending resources belonging to the 33 Local Governments illegally since 2019.

Perhaps I need to repeat this for emphasis sake. There is no Law that empowers a state Governor to withdraw money belonging to the Local Governments for the execution of projects on behalf of the Local Governments.

The fact that the monthly allocations for the 33 Local Governments would have to drop on a joint account does not confer any authority on a state Governor to illegally withdraw and spend same.

It is the responsibility of the F&GPC for each of the Local Governments to identify projects it wants to execute, approve funds for same and if the funds are beyond the approving limits of the F&GPC, it will seek approval from the Governor through the office of the Commissioner for Local Governments.

If the project would be executed as a contract, it is the sole responsibility of the HLGA to sign the contract agreement.

That is what Senator Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli is saying. That he would not make illegal withdrawals from the Local Governments funds. That he will allow the F&GPC for the 33 Local Governments to function without hinderance. That he will allow the Career officers to do their duties assigned to them by Law.

If Governor Seyi Makinde doesn’t believe in the existence of the Local Governments and he is not hiding this fact and Sarafa Alli is saying, I believe in a functional and free Local Government, where is the sensationalism in that?

Truth hurts. Dr. Olanrewaju can not, through his essay, which I consider an afterthought, rewrite the fact that, his Principal publicly declared that he doesn’t believe in the existence of the Local Governments, not to talk of allowing them to function freely.

I am surprised that Dr. Olanrewaju is of the opinion that Senator Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli is not saying what he would do differently.

I know that the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Seyi Makinde is not deaf. Neither is he blind or dumb. He is only being hypocritical.

How else does the Allied People’s Movement, APM and its Gubernatorial candidate want the All Progressives Congress, APC Gubernatorial candidate to say what he is going to do differently?

On this issue of Financial autonomy for Local Governments, Sarafadeen Alli is saying, contrary to the illegalities of the past seven years plus, he will not concern himself with the responsibilities that are ordinarily that of the Local Governments.

On Education, he has declared that he will ensure that we go back to the 30 Pupils per classroom policy of the former Governor, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, now, H. I . M, Oba Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja.

He said he will revive the Broadcasting Corporations of Oyo state, BCOS which is gasping for breath under Governor Seyi Makinde.

He was emphatic about the fact that he would set up a Committee to review the crisis created at the Circular Road by Governor Seyi Makinde within 72 hours when he is elected as the Governor of Oyo state.

He said he would review the sales and handing over of our Farm Settlements to Estate Developers amongst other promises.

On these issues, what are the clear positions taken by Adekambi?

If Dr. Olanrewaju wants us to believe his cock and bull stories about the performance of the 33 Local Governments under Seyi Makinde, I challenge him to ask his Principal to publish the statement of income and expenditures for the 33 Local Governments in the past seven years plus.

He should give us a breakdown of the total figure of the monthly allocations received on behalf of the 33 Local Governments, the breakdown of salaries and allowances paid, the number of projects executed, identities of the contractors who handled projects, the contract agreements, total figure of the Internally Generated Revenues, IGR received by the Local Governments and the VAT.

In the absence of these vital information, which I am certain they will never dare to make public, I want to humbly suggest that Dr. Olanrewaju should go and update his knowledge about how certain things are done.

Oyo 2027: APC Governorship Candidate Alli Promises LG Freedom, 13th-Month Pay, 30 Pupils Per Class

Senator Sharafadeen Alli
APC Guber Candidate in Oyo State

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has unveiled a sweeping reform agenda for the state, promising full autonomy for local governments, a 13th-month salary for civil servants, and major overhauls of the education and health sectors.

Alli, who spoke on Tuesday at a high-powered dialogue on the future of Oyo State organised by the Oyo Rising Citizens Forum (ORCF) at an event centre in Ibadan, declared that, under his administration, local governments would become fully autonomous from May 29, 2027.

“My administration will not spend one kobo belonging to local governments. They will build their schools, build their health centres and employ their own workers. That era of stifling the councils is over,” Alli said to thunderous applause.

On education, the senator promised to reduce classroom sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils per class, a policy he said would not only improve learning outcomes but also create thousands of jobs for teachers and fresh graduates.

He pledged to comply with UNESCO’s recommendation of allocating at least 18 per cent of the state budget to education, as well as train and retrain teachers and employ more hands to bridge the manpower deficit.

On healthcare, Alli promised a functional general hospital in each of the 33 Local Government Areas and at least one fully equipped primary healthcare centre in each of the 351 wards across the state.

As a demonstration of his commitment, he announced that he would personally facilitate and commission at least three fully equipped health centres across the Oyo South Senatorial District and hand them over to the state government before the election.

On the controversial circular road project, Alli promised decisive action within 72 hours of assuming office.

“I will set up a committee within 48 to 72 hours to address the grievances of all affected residents. We will not seize people’s land and we will not sell state assets,” he assured.

To revive the economy, Alli said his administration would leverage agriculture and mining, establish at least one cottage industry in each Local Government Area, and set up parabolic dryers in all seven towns in Ibarapa and two in each senatorial district before December.

He also promised to revive the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), engage youths through vocational and political opportunities, empower women with key appointments, and ensure the prompt payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities.

At the interactive session, participants questioned the candidate on energy supply, the alleged sale of state properties, welfare for doctors and revolving loans for traders, among other issues, to which Alli responded with detailed policy proposals.