The Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has launched a blistering political counterattack against Governor Seyi Makinde and his protégé, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, accusing both political figures of avoiding critical questions about governance in Oyo State while attempting to discredit Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s Oyo AHEAD manifesto as a copied version of the Makinde administration’s policies.
In a politically charged statement, SSACO described the allegation of policy plagiarism as an attempt to divert public attention from what it called unresolved challenges confronting the state, particularly the alleged paralysis of local governments, shortages of medical personnel in public hospitals, deteriorating educational conditions and the growing population of out-of-school children.
The organisation argued that the controversy over the ownership of policy ideas was a distraction from the more important question of whether existing government policies had delivered the desired results for the people.
Through its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Bisi Oladele, SSACO insisted that Alli’s political and administrative experience provided sufficient background for the development of an independent policy agenda capable of addressing the structural problems confronting Oyo State.
It maintained that the senator’s experience as a former council chairman, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and currently serving senator had exposed him to the realities of governance at different levels.
“Alli is not a newcomer learning governance from press releases. He was a Council Chairman, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and is now a serving Senator. That experience from the ward to the Senate is what positions him as the best for Oyo State. You cannot copy what you have lived,” Oladele stated.
₦873 Billion to 33 LGs: Where Is the Accountability?
In what could become one of the most consequential issues in the emerging political debate, SSACO questioned the financial and administrative independence of Oyo State’s 33 local government areas.
The organisation claimed that the councils had received approximately ₦873 billion in FAAC allocations since 2019, yet alleged that their budgetary records remained inaccessible to the public through online platforms.
For SSACO, the figures raise fundamental questions about transparency, accountability and the extent to which financial resources allocated to local governments have translated into meaningful development at the grassroots.
It argued that local governments should not exist merely as administrative structures but must possess the financial freedom and institutional authority to address community-specific challenges.
Consequently, the organisation said Alli’s Oyo AHEAD agenda would introduce an Executive Order on the first day of his administration to guarantee local government autonomy.
The proposal also includes fixed dates for monthly allocations and the monthly remittance of the statutory 10 per cent of state revenue due to local governments.
According to the organisation, the objective is to dismantle excessive centralisation and restore the capacity of councils to deliver essential services, maintain rural infrastructure and respond directly to the needs of their respective communities.
Six Councils Without General Hospitals, Six Hospitals Without Doctors
SSACO equally turned its attention to the healthcare sector, presenting what it described as disturbing staffing and infrastructure gaps that expose the limitations of government healthcare interventions.
The organisation alleged that six local government areas had no general hospitals, while six general hospitals had no doctor as of last October. Another 10 hospitals reportedly had only one doctor each.
Even more troubling, it claimed that primary healthcare centres across the state operated with approximately three workers per facility, against a national staffing standard of 24.
The campaign organisation argued that these figures contradict any attempt to portray the existence of healthcare infrastructure as sufficient evidence of effective healthcare delivery.
It challenged the administration to look beyond the establishment or renovation of facilities and confront the more fundamental requirements of functional hospitals: doctors, nurses, medicines, equipment, electricity and adequate operational funding.
Against this backdrop, Alli’s proposed Oyo Care programme was presented as a comprehensive social healthcare intervention.
The programme promises free healthcare coverage for every infant, pregnant woman and resident aged 70 and above.
It also proposes continuous recruitment of healthcare workers, provision of modern medical equipment, regular availability of essential medicines, solar-powered rural maternity facilities and a public healthcare performance dashboard in every ward.
SSACO maintained that the initiative would prioritise access, affordability and accountability, particularly for vulnerable populations who are often unable to meet the financial demands of private healthcare services.
674,000 Out-of-School Children: SSACO Turns Education into Political Accountability Test
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the organisation’s intervention was its reference to the alleged 674,000 out-of-school children in Oyo State.
Citing figures attributed to the state’s school census, SSACO claimed that approximately 674,000 children between the ages of three and 17 were out of school, a figure it described as the highest in the South-West.
The organisation also alleged that public primary school classrooms accommodate an average of 100 pupils, while seven out of every 10 children aged seven to 14 cannot perform basic mathematical calculations.
These statistics, if independently verified, point to serious concerns about school accessibility, overcrowding, learning outcomes and the effectiveness of educational interventions.
SSACO argued that the challenge requires more than political claims about educational achievements; it demands deliberate investment, institutional restructuring and measurable reforms.
The Oyo AHEAD manifesto, it said, proposes reducing classroom populations to 30 pupils, rehabilitating schools across all 33 local government areas and introducing scholarships for academically gifted children from disadvantaged households.
It also promises an Apprenticeship Law to create stronger pathways for vocational education and skills development, alongside the restoration of School Governing Boards to give parents and local communities a greater voice in school administration.
The organisation maintained that educational development must be measured by the number of children in school, the quality of teaching, the condition of learning facilities and the ability of pupils to acquire essential literacy and numeracy skills.
₦10 Billion Youth Fund, Agricultural Revolution, Affordable Housing
Moving beyond the immediate social-sector concerns, SSACO highlighted the economic development components of Alli’s manifesto, describing them as part of a broader strategy to reposition Oyo State for sustainable prosperity.
A proposed agricultural revolution is expected to strengthen the state’s agricultural economy, improve rural livelihoods and create opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
The manifesto also promises a ₦10 billion Youth Fund aimed at expanding economic opportunities for young people, supporting entrepreneurship and encouraging productive participation in the state’s economy.
In the housing sector, Alli’s programme proposes affordable homes for low- and middle-income earners, while its infrastructure component introduces a proposed 20-year warranty on every newly constructed road.
SSACO said the road warranty proposal would introduce a stronger accountability mechanism into public infrastructure delivery, discouraging poor construction standards and ensuring that contractors remain answerable for the quality and durability of their work.
The organisation argued that the proposals collectively represent a development agenda that seeks to move Oyo State beyond political slogans towards measurable improvements in citizens’ living conditions.
‘Most Liveable State’: SSACO Demands Evidence
SSACO also questioned the Makinde administration’s claim that Oyo State is the most liveable state, demanding that the government identify the organisation responsible for the ranking, publish the report and disclose the methodology used.
It insisted that development claims must be backed by transparent evidence rather than political declarations.
The organisation similarly dismissed the argument that Alli copied the government’s one-primary-healthcare-centre-per-ward policy, maintaining that the existence of a facility does not automatically translate into accessible and effective healthcare.
“That is not implementation. That is abandonment,” the organisation declared, referring to its allegation that primary healthcare centres operate with only three workers against the stated national benchmark of 24.
‘Adekanmbi Represents Continuity, Oyo AHEAD Represents Correction’
In its strongest political assessment, SSACO portrayed Adekanmbi’s emergence and association with the Makinde administration as a continuation of the existing political and governance structure.
The organisation argued that Oyo State requires a departure from excessive centralisation and what it described as government-as-business, insisting that Alli’s manifesto offers a corrective direction.
“Adekanmbi is not change. He is continuity of failure, continuity of centralisation, continuity of government-as-business. Oyo AHEAD is a correction. It is a covenant. And we will continue to highlight the issues that matter to the well-being of the people Oyo State,” the statement concluded.
