Governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Hon Bimbo Adekanmbi, has dared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, saying he should go to court over the local government autonomy controversy.
Go to court, Adekanmbi dares Alli
The APM governorship candidate had, during an interview on programme on Fresh 105.9FM, Ibadan, on Saturday, alleged that there was massive looting during the tenure of Alli as the chairman of Ibadan North Local Government Area.
He further alleged, among others, that the local government area, during the Alli administration, was the worst in the state, adding that workers who protested non-payment of salary arrears were arrested and sent to prison.
Reacting to the allegations, the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) challenged the APM governorship candidate to substantiate his corruption allegations against the Oyo APC governorship candidate.
In a statement on Saturday, SSACO Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Bisi Oladele, accused Adekanmbi of distorting historical events and making claims it described as falsehoods to undermine the senator’s political standing.
He described the allegations as an attempt to discredit Alli ahead of the 2027 governorship election and threatened to institute a legal action against Adekanmbi, should he fail to substantiate the allegations he made against Alli.
However, the Oyo APM Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council has dared Senator Alli to go ahead with his legal action, declaring that “now that Adekanmbi has spoken, they have the jitters.”
The Co-Director (Media and Publicity) of the campaign council, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, stated in a release, on Sunday, that the camp of Senator Alli has been clearly rattled by the interview granted by Hon Adekanmbi.
“First came the puerile statement from Senator Alli’s campaign organisation, threatening legal action. We dare them to follow through. Their candidate may ultimately be forced to withdraw from the race,” it was stated.
Reacting to an article titled “Electing Adekanmbi as Oyo Governor Will Spell Total Doom for Oyo LGs,” the APM governorship campaign council described it as “a classic example of political fear-mongering disguised as analysis.
“The piece is built entirely on assumptions, exaggerated predictions, and imagined scenarios rather than verifiable facts.
“The author plays a looming catastrophe without offering credible evidence that such a catastrophe either exists or is likely to occur.”
According to APM, the author of the article deliberately and mischievously misrepresented Adekanmbi’s position on local government autonomy.
“The writer seizes on his (Adekanmbi’s) statement that no state government can grant local government autonomy and twists it into evidence that he opposes local government autonomy altogether.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. The constitutional reality is straightforward. Local government autonomy is not a favour dispensed by governors; it is a constitutional matter governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“No governor can wake up and “grant” autonomy any more than he can unilaterally amend the Constitution.
“Recognising this reality is not opposition to autonomy; it is simply an acknowledgment of the legal framework within which governments operate.
“Yet, the author constructs an entire doomsday narrative around this distortion.
“Having misrepresented Adekanmbi’s position, he proceeds to paint an alarming picture of the future, warning of the alleged collapse of grassroots governance should Adekanmbi become governor.
“Such claims hardly qualify as serious political analysis. Indeed, beyond its alarmist tone, the article reveals something else: nervousness.
“Since Bimbo Adekanmbi began engaging directly with the people of Oyo State and articulating his vision for the future, his opponents have appeared increasingly unsettled.
“After all, no one expends this much energy attacking a candidate who poses no political threat.
“The attempt to portray every statement he makes as a danger to the state suggests a camp struggling to contain the growing appeal of a candidate whose message of continuity, stability, and progress is resonating with the electorate.
“Behind these exaggerated warnings lies an unmistakable fear that the people of Oyo State may ultimately choose to build on existing achievements rather than abandon them.
“The intensity of the attacks says far more about the anxieties of Adekanmbi’s opponents than it does about the candidate himself.
“The irony is that while the writer wants readers to believe that grassroots governance has collapsed in Oyo State, residents can see what is happening in their communities.
“Across the state, local governments continue to function under an elected leadership. Public services are being delivered. Development projects are being executed. Healthcare facilities are being upgraded, communities are being connected, and economic activities are being stimulated.
“If local governments have truly been destroyed, as the writer dramatically claims, why are councils still initiating and commissioning projects? The answer is obvious: the claim does not align with reality,” APM declared.
The party also described the said article as an attempt to weaponise the Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy by presenting it as a direct indictment of the current administration.
“Again, the issue is far more nuanced than the author would have readers believe. The implementation of constitutional and judicial decisions is not subject to the whims and caprices of governors.
“Rather, it is a legal and institutional process involving multiple stakeholders. It cannot be reduced to simplistic campaign slogans designed to score partisan points.
“As Honourable Bimbo Adekanmbi asked during his interview, in which APC-controlled state does local government autonomy currently exist?
“More importantly, the article ignores a central fact: the administration of ‘Seyi Makinde has consistently demonstrated a commitment to grassroots development.
“Investments in rural roads, primary healthcare centres, education, agriculture, and security have directly impacted communities across Oyo State.
“These are not abstract promises; they are visible interventions that residents can see and experience,” it was added in the release.
The Oyo APM Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council added that what was happening was a deliberate attempt to equate continuity with stagnation.
“Because Adekanmbi has pledged to build on the achievements of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, the author assumes he intends to perpetuate every allegation levelled against the government by its critics.
“This is an intellectually lazy argument. Continuity does not mean duplication. It means sustaining what works while improving what requires improvement.
“Every responsible administration builds on existing foundations. No serious leader assumes office with the intention of dismantling successful programmes merely to create an impression of independence.
“The people of Oyo State are discerning enough to distinguish between legitimate criticism and political fear-mongering.
“That is why attempts to portray Adekanmbi’s candidacy as a threat to grassroots governance have already begun to falter. Facts remain facts, no matter how loudly the prophets of doom protest.
“While political opponents remain preoccupied with manufacturing fears about tomorrow, Bimbo Adekanmbi remains focused on a simple mission: building on progress, strengthening institutions, and expanding opportunities for the people of Oyo State,” APM concluded.
