The campaign organisation of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, has dismissed Bimbo Adekanmbi’s allegations against the senator, calling them attempts to undermine his political standing ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Bisi Oladele, accused Adekanmbi of making claims intended to damage Alli’s reputation and distort historical facts for political gain.
The organisation said the allegations, made during a radio interview, reflected what it described as the opposition’s efforts to discredit the APC candidate rather than present credible plans for the state’s development.
It recalled that Alli, while serving as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, maintained prompt salary payments and prioritised workers’ welfare, earning recognition from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State.
The campaign organisation also said the financial difficulties local governments faced after the Federal Military Government’s January 1993 policy on staff promotions and salary increases were a nationwide problem caused by inadequate allocations to implement the policy.
According to the statement, the challenges persisted beyond Alli’s tenure and were eventually addressed through institutional measures, including the establishment of the National Primary Education Commission in 1997 and the introduction of first-line charges for teachers’ salaries by 1999.
The SSACO challenged Adekanmbi to produce the report supporting his corruption allegations against Alli or face a defamation suit. The campaign organisation accused Adekanmbi and his political associates of exploiting historical challenges to mislead the electorate, insisting that no amount of alleged blackmail would diminish Alli’s political standing.
It further accused Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of weakening local government administration in the state, thereby denying grassroots residents the benefits of effective governance.
The statement said Alli, if elected governor, would revitalise the 33 local government areas, strengthen their administrative and financial capacity, and ensure they effectively address their communities’ needs.
It added that his proposed priorities include reconstructing feeder and access roads to improve movement of people and goods and stimulate economic activities across the state.
The organisation expressed confidence that the electorate would reject Adekanmbi and Makinde in the 2027 elections, insisting that the campaign would remain focused on restoring effective grassroots governance.
It challenged Adekanmbi to engage in issue-based political discourse rather than what it described as attempts to rewrite history for partisan advantage.