The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, and the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) have engaged in a war of words over the originality and substance of the APC candidate’s Oyo AHEAD manifesto ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
While Adekanmbi accused Senator Alli of recycling policies already being implemented by Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, SSACO described the criticism as an expression of frustration over what it called a superior development plan for Oyo State.
Adekanmbi, in a statement issued by Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Co-Director of Media and Publicity of the Oyo State APM Campaign Council, challenged Alli to explain how he could condemn the Makinde administration while adopting some of its policies in his manifesto.
He argued that the Oyo AHEAD manifesto lacked originality, citing its proposals on healthcare, education, agriculture, road infrastructure and workers’ welfare as priorities already receiving attention under the present administration.
The APM candidate particularly questioned Alli’s promise to establish a Primary Healthcare Centre in every ward, noting that the policy was already being pursued through the Makinde administration’s one-PHC-per-ward initiative.
Adekanmbi also argued that Oyo State’s reported recognition as Nigeria’s most liveable state and highest-performing state in democratic governance contradicted the opposition’s narrative of governmental failure.
He challenged SSACO to identify a transformative policy or signature reform in Alli’s manifesto that could distinguish it from the achievements and programmes of the current administration.
However, reacting in a statement on Wednesday, SSACO Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, described Adekanmbi’s criticism as desperation to defend Governor Makinde’s administration despite what it called its shortcomings in grassroots development, healthcare, education, agriculture and youth development.
The organisation maintained that similarities in policy priorities did not make Alli’s proposals unoriginal, insisting that Oyo AHEAD offered practical solutions to the challenges confronting the state.
SSACO alleged that Oyo State had the highest number of out-of-school children in the Southwest, while several hospitals lacked doctors and government-backed farm settlements had failed to deliver on their promises despite substantial budgetary allocations.
It also questioned the performance of the state’s education sector, particularly Oyo’s reported 27th position in WAEC performance, and accused the government of weakening local government administration.
The statement queried: “Is it not intellectually disingenuous to describe policies as not original simply because previous governments had announced similar initiatives? When did healthcare, education, employment, workers’ welfare and economic development cease being priorities?”
SSACO further challenged Adekanmbi to explain why poorly staffed existing primary healthcare centres should prevent a future administration from establishing better-equipped, adequately staffed and properly funded facilities across communities.
“If the current administration has mentioned the policies and is delivering on them, why is Oyo State coming 27th in WAEC performance? Why are hospitals not well staffed and funded to deliver effective healthcare? Why are our local governments unable to address needs or communities in their domains?” it asked.
The campaign organisation also defended Alli’s credentials, citing his previous positions as Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff to former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, as well as his current representation of Oyo South Senatorial District.
It argued that his experience in public administration, legislative service and community leadership had prepared him to provide purposeful leadership and people-oriented development.
Describing the Oyo AHEAD manifesto as a plan to address the challenges confronting the state, SSACO urged voters to support Alli, whom it described as a trusted leader with a longstanding relationship with the people.
Adekanmbi, however, maintained that Oyo State should not abandon a government whose performance had earned national recognition for a manifesto he described as largely built on familiar promises and recycled priorities.
He reaffirmed the APM’s commitment to sustaining what he called the gains of the Makinde administration through the election of Adekanmbi as the next governor of Oyo State.
