2027: Six Oyo APC Governorship Aspirants Reject Alli as Party’s Candidate, Insist ‘There Is No Candidate Yet’

Six of the 11 aspirants who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Oyo State have rejected the emergence of Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the party's gubernatorial candidate, insisting that due process was not followed and that the party currently has no valid candidate.

The aggrieved aspirants, Engineer Hakeem Alao, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, Dr Ayobami Lam-Adesina, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, Mr Ololade Bakare and Prince Musibau Asanike, made their position known after meeting with a reconciliation committee established by the party to address grievances arising from the primary.

The committee, chaired by Senator Olufemi Lanlehin and Professor Taoheed Adedoja, was constituted to engage dissatisfied members following the APC's announcement naming Alli as its governorship candidate.

The six aspirants argued that the party failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act in selecting its candidate and maintained that the process had not been concluded.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Engineer Hakeem Alao said the aspirants had formally presented their grievances to the reconciliation committee.

"We have intimated the committee of our grievances and we made our position known. Just like you have asked, that is the candidate; there is no candidate for now. We have not fulfilled the provisions of the Electoral Act," Alao said.

He added that the committee would deliberate on the issues raised before making recommendations.

"We have made our position known to the committee and the committee is going to deliberate on it extensively. It is still a family. We are going to have a candidate at the end of the day.

"Whoever is picked at the end of the day, we are going to work with the person, but as of now, we have no governorship candidate in APC."

The Oyo APC recently announced Senator Sharafadeen Alli as its governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 election.

A total of 11 aspirants contested the party's governorship primary, including Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Dr Adewale Kareem, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, Engineer Hakeem Alao, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, Dr Ayobami Lam-Adesina, Prince Musibau Asanike, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Mr Ololade Bakare and Senator Sharafadeen Alli.