The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has launched a fresh political attack on Governor Seyi Makinde and the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, declaring that the disappointing attendance recorded at the party’s campaign flag-off in Oyo town has exposed what it described as their diminishing political relevance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
SSACO said the poorly attended rally, which took place on Saturday at the Durbar Stadium, Oyo town, should serve as a political warning to Makinde and Adekanmbi that the electorate may no longer be persuaded by political endorsements, government influence or elaborate campaign preparations without corresponding evidence of public acceptance.
The organisation specifically advised the APM governorship candidate and his alleged political benefactor to regard the turnout as a reflection of the growing dissatisfaction among the electorate, insisting that the development had reinforced the APC’s position that the APM lacked the grassroots political machinery and electoral appeal to pose a serious threat in the forthcoming elections.
The rally was organised to formally flag off the 2027 governorship campaign of Adekanmbi and other APM candidates seeking elective positions in the National and State Assemblies. Despite months of planning and mobilisation reportedly involving party members across Oyo State’s 33 local government areas, SSACO described the event as an embarrassing political outing, particularly because of the turnout and the reported absence of some candidates.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, the organisation argued that the rally had exposed a widening gap between the political ambition of the APM leadership and the level of grassroots acceptance enjoyed by the party.
“The embarrassing poor attendance at the Oyo State APM governorship campaign flag-off in Oyo town on Saturday was another confirmation that Oyo State people have rejected the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, and his sponsor, Governor Seyi Makinde,” SSACO declared.
Taking its criticism further, the organisation accused Governor Makinde of investing political and public resources in advancing Adekanmbi’s ambition and what it characterised as an unrealistic presidential political project, alleging that the disappointing turnout had delivered a humiliating verdict on the political calculations of the governor and his preferred successor.
It argued that the development demonstrated that the electorate could no longer be taken for granted, warning that political sponsorship and access to government influence were insufficient to guarantee electoral victory in a state where voters were increasingly concerned about governance, accountability and tangible development.
SSACO also turned its attention to the performance of the Makinde administration, alleging that the government had failed to adequately address critical grassroots development challenges during its seven and a half years in office.
According to the organisation, the people across the 33 local government areas would not easily forget what it described as unfulfilled expectations in agriculture, youth development, industrialisation and rural infrastructure.
It specifically accused the administration of allowing rural roads and damaged bridges to deteriorate while local government councils allegedly remained unable to perform their statutory responsibilities effectively.
“Will the people at the grassroots across the 33 local governments of Oyo State forget how they have been robbed of democracy dividends in the last seven and half years? Will they forget how agriculture, youth development and industrialisation have suffered under Governor Seyi Makinde?” the organisation queried.
SSACO maintained that the reported poor attendance was therefore not merely an organisational failure but, in its interpretation, a political statement reflecting dissatisfaction with the administration’s record.
It further argued that the APM governorship candidate could not entirely distance himself from the political fortunes of the Makinde administration, particularly given the allegation that the governor was providing political backing for his ambition.
The organisation consequently suggested that Adekanmbi’s electoral prospects would be determined, to a considerable extent, by the public perception of the government whose political platform and support he was allegedly benefiting from.
In another pointed criticism, SSACO referenced Governor Makinde’s remarks at the campaign rally, where the governor reportedly expressed confidence that Nigerians would surprise the APC in the 2027 elections.
Describing the statement as politically ironic, the organisation said the turnout at the same rally had provided what it considered a more immediate response from the electorate.
“This Saturday, Oyo State people have told Governor Seyi Makinde, on whose credibility Hon. Adekanmbi is running, that government of deceit can last for eight years but the people who are the victims will never forget,” the statement added.
It continued: “Interestingly, Governor Seyi Makinde told the little crowd that Nigerians will show APC in the 2027 elections what it has not seen before. Ironically, Oyo State people used Saturday’s campaign to tell Governor Makinde what he was not ready to hear — your time is over; therefore, your stooge does not stand a chance.”
The campaign organisation, however, expressed confidence that the APC would offer Oyo State a different governance direction under its governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, whom it projected as a credible alternative capable of restoring effective grassroots administration and accelerating development.
According to SSACO, an Alli-led government would prioritise local government autonomy, establish stronger working relationships with the Federal Government and embark on deliberate efforts to reverse what it described as the developmental damage of the Makinde administration since 2019.
The organisation specifically identified Alli’s Oyo AHEAD agenda as the policy framework through which the APC candidate intends to address governance challenges, improve infrastructure, strengthen institutional capacity and reposition the state for sustainable economic growth.
It maintained that local government administration would receive particular attention under an Alli government, arguing that functional councils were essential to delivering development at the grassroots and addressing the infrastructure challenges confronting rural communities.
