The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, has challenged his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to begin preparing his concession speech ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
Adekanmbi in a statement signed by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Co-Director, Media and Publicity, Oyo State APM Campaign Council (OYSACC)expressed confidence in his electoral prospects following what he described as the overwhelming success of the APM governorship campaign flag-off held at Durbar Stadium, Oyo, on Saturday.
He maintained that the massive turnout at the rally was a clear indication of growing public acceptance of his candidacy and the party across the state.
“I look forward to Senator Alli’s congratulatory message because he cannot escape defeat,” Adekanmbi declared.
The APM candidate’s position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Co-Director, Media and Publicity of the Oyo State APM Campaign Council (OYSACC).
The council also dismissed the reaction of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) to the rally, describing its claims of poor attendance as a desperate attempt to distort the reality of the event.
OYSACC described SSACO’s criticism as “the biggest political joke of the year”, insisting that Saturday’s rally attracted tens of thousands of supporters, party faithful, community leaders, youths, women and residents from different parts of Oyo State.
According to the council, the opposition’s attempt to downplay the rally’s success was borne out of anxiety over Adekanmbi’s growing popularity and the increasing acceptance of the APM.
“The truth is simple: SSACO saw the crowd, Oyo people saw the crowd, the media saw the crowd, and the entire state saw the crowd. The only people claiming otherwise are those whose political calculations were shattered by the massive show of support for Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi,” the statement said.
The campaign council further questioned why SSACO would devote considerable attention to an event it allegedly considered insignificant, arguing that its reaction demonstrated concern over the APM’s growing political influence.
It added that while the APC campaign organisation was allegedly preoccupied with disputing attendance figures and criticising photographs from the event, the APM remained focused on presenting its programmes and engaging voters.
OYSACC also maintained that the turnout reflected the goodwill generated by Governor Seyi Makinde’s developmental initiatives and the confidence of residents in Adekanmbi’s capacity to sustain the state’s development trajectory.
The council said a credible campaign should focus on critical issues such as employment, infrastructure, security, agriculture and economic growth rather than what it described as unnecessary arguments over crowd sizes.
It urged political parties and their candidates to embrace issue-based campaigns and present clear policies capable of addressing the concerns of the electorate.
“The road to 2027 has begun. While others are struggling to explain away an obvious success, we remain focused on engaging the people, presenting our vision and building the broad coalition that will deliver victory,” OYSACC stated.
The council reaffirmed its confidence in Adekanmbi’s candidacy, describing the Oyo rally as an indication of the momentum it believes the APM is building ahead of the February 2027 governorship election.
It, however, reiterated its commitment to an issue-based campaign, insisting that propaganda and attempts to discredit its activities would not derail its electoral ambition.
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