Tinubu Meets Folarin as Oyo APC Moves to Quell Rift Over Alli’s Candidacy

President Bola Tinubu has met with former Senate Leader and former Oyo State governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin, in Abuja, in a move aimed at resolving lingering tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.

The meeting, held at the Presidential Villa, comes amid ongoing efforts by the party leadership to reconcile aggrieved stakeholders and rally support for the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli.

Sources familiar with the development said the discussions focused on healing divisions within the party following the governorship primary process and ensuring that influential APC leaders unite behind Alli’s candidacy in the bid to reclaim Oyo State from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Folarin, who represented Oyo Central Senatorial District in the Senate, was the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election but lost to Governor Seyi Makinde of the PDP.

His ambition to contest the 2027 governorship election did not materialise after the party settled for Alli as its flag bearer. Folarin did not participate in the primary process that produced the APC candidate.

The meeting with Tinubu is believed to be part of broader consultations by the APC national leadership aimed at fostering reconciliation among party leaders following the keenly contested race for the party’s ticket.

Alli emerged as the APC governorship candidate after consultations among party stakeholders and was formally presented alongside his running mate, Adesoji Adedeji, in Ibadan on July 2.

His emergence followed an endorsement by leading figures within the Oyo APC, who described him as the consensus choice capable of leading the party to victory in the 2027 governorship election.

The process, however, generated controversy, particularly from former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who resigned from the Federal Executive Council to pursue the governorship ticket.

Adelabu maintained that the party’s national leadership had not officially announced the outcome of the primary and cautioned members against recognising what he described as premature declarations of a consensus candidate.

Despite the objections, Alli was announced as the APC governorship candidate after emerging ahead of other aspirants, including Adelabu, former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Akeem Agbaje, and Oyedele Alao.