The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) and the campaign organisation of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, have traded accusations over allegations of political violence, with both sides calling on security agencies to investigate reported attacks in the state.
While SSACO accused Governor Seyi Makinde and Adekanmbi of shielding alleged perpetrators of violence within the APM, the Adekanmbi Campaign Organisation dismissed the allegations as unfounded, accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, of spreading misinformation capable of heightening political tension.
The exchange followed allegations linking APM supporters to the killing of an APC member, Ridwan Adeyemi, and reported attacks on Mrs Tawakalit Alli, wife of the APC governorship candidate, Hon. Remi Oseni and Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo in Ibadan on October 7.
In a statement issued on Sunday, October 18, 2026, SSACO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, faulted the Adekanmbi Campaign Organisation for describing its concerns over the incidents as irresponsible and potentially harmful to security efforts.
Oladele argued that raising concerns about attacks on opposition members was necessary and should not be interpreted as an attempt to undermine security agencies.
He accused the APM in Oyo State of making excuses rather than addressing allegations of violence, claiming that the party had previously accused APC members of attacking their own candidates and supporters before challenging the APC to provide evidence linking APM members to the incidents.
“We challenge Governor Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi to stop shielding their attack dogs from facing the law. They should allow security agencies to fish out the killers and attackers within the APM instead of faulting APC’s cries,” the statement said.
SSACO further urged political leaders to respect the sanctity of human life and ensure that residents could exercise their political choices without fear of violence.
The organisation also recalled that Makinde won the 2019 governorship election as an opposition candidate in what it described as a peaceful atmosphere.
It maintained that no political ambition was worth the life of any resident of Oyo State, adding that Senator Alli was prepared to offer an alternative through his Oyo-AHEAD agenda ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
However, the Adekanmbi Campaign Organisation rejected the allegations, describing them as false, irresponsible and capable of escalating tension in the state.
In its response, signed by its Deputy Director of Media and Publicity, Moses Alao, the organisation challenged the APC and SSACO to allow law enforcement agencies to investigate the incidents instead of making public accusations against the APM.
The campaign organisation also called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Oyo State Police Command to caution political parties against making what it described as sensational and unsubstantiated allegations.
It questioned SSACO’s handling of the killing of Ridwan, whom it said was also known as Paul Moore, arguing that the campaign organisation had not identified any individual suspected of carrying out the act.
While expressing condolences over the deceased, the APM campaign organisation warned that prematurely linking criminal incidents to political parties could allow perpetrators to exploit political tensions to evade justice.
“APC, SSACO and other political parties should allow the law enforcement agencies to do their jobs and should not assume that because they can buy bloggers and dictate the slant of their stories, then they have become the law,” the statement said.
The organisation also alleged that APC and SSACO had repeatedly attempted to associate Makinde, Adekanmbi and the APM with incidents of violence without providing sufficient evidence.
It cited photographs and videos purportedly showing individuals wielding axes at Molete, Ibadan, and called on security agencies to investigate the incident alongside other reported cases.
The campaign organisation maintained that the APM, Makinde and Adekanmbi were committed to peace and had no involvement in the alleged violence.
It further accused the APC and SSACO of using one-sided media reports and unsubstantiated claims to influence public opinion ahead of the 2027 elections.
Both campaign organisations urged security agencies to investigate the reported incidents, although they differed sharply over responsibility for the violence and the propriety of making public allegations before the conclusion of investigations.
As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections, the dispute has added to tensions among political actors in Oyo State, with both camps insisting that residents should be allowed to make their political choices freely and peacefully.
The allegations and counter-allegations contained in the two statements have not, in the material provided, been independently established by the authorities.
