The Oyo State governorship campaign council of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) has accused the campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, of desperation and fear of defeat ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The APM campaign council made the assertion in a statement signed by its Co-Director, Media and Publicity, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, on Tuesday.
The group was reacting to the statement by the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation concerning remarks credited to Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, which it described as a routine diplomatic courtesy rather than a political endorsement.
According to the APM campaign council, the attempt to turn Mohammed’s acknowledgment of federal intervention into a political issue was evidence of the APC campaign’s alleged insecurity.
“Governor Bala Mohammed’s remarks were exactly what they appeared to be: a routine gesture of intergovernmental courtesy,” the statement said.
It argued that governors across the country routinely acknowledge Federal Government interventions when such efforts benefit their states, stressing that such comments should not automatically be interpreted as political alignment.
The group also cited Governor Seyi Makinde’s previous acknowledgment of the Federal Government’s role in the rescue of persons kidnapped in Oriire on May 15, 2026, as an example of intergovernmental cooperation.
The APM campaign council maintained that Mohammed’s comment neither amounted to an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu nor represented a shift in political allegiance or denial of Makinde’s leadership.
It further argued that the comment did not erase Mohammed’s earlier position that Makinde was best suited for the presidency, insisting that no political alliance, defection or concession had resulted from the remark.
The group said the focus on Mohammed’s comment showed that the APC campaign organisation lacked sufficient arguments to challenge what it described as Makinde’s governance record and growing political profile.
It stated that Makinde’s “steady, pragmatic and people-centred style” continued to resonate with Nigerians seeking competent leadership.
The APM campaign council accused the Alli campaign organisation of resorting to what it described as distortion and political theatrics rather than presenting an alternative programme to voters.
“The people of Oyo State are not fooled by such theatrics. They have seen Makinde’s work, felt its impact, and watched his leadership evolve with consistency and clarity,” it said.
The group further described the APC campaign’s interpretation of Mohammed’s remarks as “intellectually dishonest,” arguing that intergovernmental cooperation should not be reduced to partisan political point-scoring.
It concluded that the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation was allegedly “afraid of imminent defeat,” adding that attempts to use Mohammed’s comment to weaken Makinde’s political standing would not alter voter sentiment ahead of the 2027 election.
