The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of undermining the state’s 33 local government areas, arguing that his alleged record at the grassroots should be considered in assessing his 2027 presidential ambition.
The campaign organisation, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, also challenged the Allied Peoples Movement to demonstrate its nationwide political structure and capacity to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The group’s comments followed the APM’s decision to present Makinde as its presidential candidate and its call for President Bola Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. The development has formed part of an increasingly heated political exchange involving Makinde and Alli ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Alli campaign organisation alleged that Makinde’s seven-year administration had “paralysed” the 33 local governments in Oyo State.
“APM’s Makinde is averse to the third tier of government in Nigeria, and this is evident in his seven-year anti-local government administration in Oyo State,” the statement said.
The organisation argued that a presidential ambition should be accompanied by evidence of political organisation and capacity beyond the candidate’s home state.
It challenged the APM to disclose the extent of its political structures across the country and demonstrate its ability to compete across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Declaring an ambition is one thing; building the political structure required to prosecute a nationwide presidential election is another entirely,” the organisation said.
It was further argued that Makinde would have to contend with political opposition in Oyo State, where he has been governor since 2019.
The campaign organisation also criticised the APM’s call for Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 contest, describing the position as “political hallucination” and questioning whether the party had the national structure required to mount a presidential campaign.
