The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 Oyo State election, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has expressed confidence that ongoing reconciliation efforts within the party will produce a united front ahead of the governorship poll.
Alli, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District in the Senate, stated this on Monday during the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) programme, “A Day with BSA,” held in Ibadan.
The APC flag bearer said restoring unity within the party became one of his immediate priorities after emerging as the party’s governorship candidate, noting that extensive consultations with stakeholders across the state were already yielding positive results.
According to him, he has held meetings with former governorship aspirants, members of the G-6 bloc and other influential party leaders to foster reconciliation.
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had also intervened by engaging the party’s former governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, to facilitate peace among aggrieved members.
“We have been making conscious efforts to unite the APC. I have met with aspirants and spoken with members of the G-6. President Bola Tinubu has also engaged Senator Teslim Folarin and tasked him with reconciling all aggrieved members. We are already resolving the crisis, and I believe the party will emerge stronger and more united,” Alli said.
The senator described his emergence as the beginning of a renewed drive to reposition the APC ahead of the 2027 governorship election, urging party members to close ranks to secure victory.
Unveiling his administration’s proposed first 100-day agenda, Alli identified education, security, youth empowerment and effective local government administration as key priorities.
On education, he promised to improve learning conditions in public schools by reducing class sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils and upgrading facilities across primary and secondary schools.
“We will return to 30 pupils per classroom because quality education begins with a conducive learning environment. We will upgrade facilities in all public primary and secondary schools and ensure that every child enjoys free, functional and quality education from primary to secondary level,” he said.
He also pledged to strengthen technical and vocational education by establishing and upgrading technical colleges across the state while integrating practical skills training into tertiary institutions.
“We must produce graduates with practical skills. Technical education will receive priority because it is critical to industrial growth and youth employment,” he added.
Alli further pledged to end dependence on consultancy services in public schools, stressing that teachers and educational institutions would be adequately equipped to deliver quality education.
Speaking on grassroots development, the APC candidate emphasized the need for efficient local government administration, saying meaningful development begins at the grassroots.
“Our local governments must function efficiently because development starts from the grassroots. Once local governments work efficiently, governance becomes more impactful,” he stated.
On security, Alli advocated strengthening neighbourhood watch structures and proposed biometric registration of all residents in Oyo State to enhance intelligence gathering.
“We need a comprehensive database of everyone living in Oyo State. Every resident should be registered with biometric details, including fingerprints. This will significantly improve intelligence gathering and strengthen our security architecture,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the proposed reforms would reposition Oyo State for sustainable growth and development.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Akeem Abbas, said the programme was designed to provide a platform for governorship candidates and other political office seekers to present their programmes to the electorate.
According to him, the initiative would enable voters to understand the candidates’ plans and make informed decisions during the election.
The event was attended by the Oyo State APC Chairman, Otunba Moses Alake-Adeyemo, the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Soji Adedeji, and other prominent APC leaders in the state.
