The Oyo South Senator and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and the party’s senatorial candidate for Oyo South, Hon. Remi Oseni, have called for compassionate, morally upright and service-driven leadership in Nigeria.
The duo made the call on Saturday at the 2026 Convention and Investiture of Patrons and Patronesses of the Archdiocese of Ibadan Catholic Men Organization (AICMO), held at the SS Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
The convention, with the theme, “Reawakening the Spiritual and Moral Authority/Leadership of Catholic Men in the Church, the Family and the Society,” brought together Catholic men, religious leaders, dignitaries and other stakeholders to reflect on the role of men in the Church, family and society.
Alli, who currently serves as the senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, said politics must be guided by morality, accountability, competence and compassion, stressing that government alone could not transform society without the partnership of responsible citizens, religious institutions, traditional leaders and community organisations.
The APC governorship candidate, in his address, said Oyo State deserved leadership that would prioritise quality education, accessible healthcare, security, economic opportunities and human capital development. He also stressed the need to invest in young people through education, relevant skills and employment opportunities.
Alli, who donated N5 million to AICMO, said his administration would grant administrative and financial autonomy to local governments while prioritising security, education, agriculture, mining and industrial development.
He said his administration would focus on adding value to the state’s agricultural and mineral resources through industries and other investments, declaring that “Oyo will not be a real estate business” under his watch.
According to him, the state has comparative advantages in agriculture and mining which must be properly harnessed to create jobs and expand economic opportunities.
Hon. Remi Oseni, who currently represents Ido/Ibarapa East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stressed the importance of spiritual awakening, compassion and righteousness in leadership.
Oseni, who chairs the House Committee on FERMA, urged Nigerians to embrace leaders who believe in godliness and service, citing Proverbs 29:2, which he said teaches that people rejoice when the righteous are in authority.
Oseni also highlighted what he described as the achievements of the President Bola Tinubu administration in sectors including education, agriculture, oil and gas, road infrastructure, water supply and electrification.
He said leadership should be about service and compassion, adding that he would continue to focus on interventions in his constituency, particularly in education, power, water and infrastructure.
Oseni, who also donated N5 million to AICMO, called on Nigerians to relate with one another in brotherliness and avoid allowing political differences to undermine their relationships and communities.
Earlier in his address, the AICMO Chaplain, Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ajewole Adeyinka, said the maiden convention was organised to strengthen the spiritual foundation of the organisation and challenge Catholic men to take their leadership responsibilities seriously in their families, the Church and society.
Fr. Ajewole said men had a duty to provide spiritual and moral protection for their families, urging them to emulate St. Joseph as a model of just, responsible and spiritually guided leadership.
He said the strength of society depended largely on the quality of leadership in families, adding that men must raise the bar of discipline, integrity and excellence and serve as examples to their wives and children.
The President of AICMO, Sir Felix Azelake Adoroh, in his welcome address, described the convention as the beginning of a new chapter in the organisation’s culture, rooted in faith, discipline, spirituality and dedication to the role of Catholic men as pillars of the Church, family and society.
Adoroh said the convention was also designed to encourage men to reflect on their responsibilities as fathers, husbands, members of the Church and leaders in their communities.
The event, which had in attendance the Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ibadan, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Leke Abegunrin, also featured the investiture of patrons and patronesses of AICMO, including Mr. Felix Igboanugo, Hon. Justice Peter Olabisi Ige, Otunba Biola Layonu and Prof. Olufemi Ogunbiyi as patrons, while Dr. Iyabode Olusanmi, Chief Mrs. Elfridar Adepoju, Lady Clara Oke and Prof. Mrs. Elizabeth Ojo were invested as patronesses.
