A sociopolitical group championing the course of demicracy and good governance in Oyo state; The GSM Advocates, has described the choice of Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 Oyo State election as a “misfit,” for such contest.
The group argued that the opposition party could have presented more competitive alternatives in the persons of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and former Oyo State governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, or any other younger visionary political leader within the APC.
The group said the APC’s choice had raised questions among voters about the quality of political leadership and the direction of the opposition party ahead of the 2027 election, particularly given what it described as the abundance of experienced and younger politicians within the party.
In the group’s statement on Monday October 5, by its state Coordinator, Bashorun Abiola, GSM Advocates said the emergence of Alli had failed to generate the kind of political excitement expected of a major opposition party preparing to challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration in the state.
The group alleged that Alli’s record as a former chairman of Ibadan North Local Government did not provide the evidence of transformative leadership it believed Oyo voters should demand from anyone seeking to govern the state.
It also criticised Alli’s representation of Oyo South Senatorial District, alleging that his political activities had not translated into any measurable benefits for constituents.
According to the group, the senator’s prominence across the senatorial district had been driven largely by billboards and other forms of political visibility across strategic location like one advertising a product, rather than the delivery of projects and initiatives capable of demonstrating tangible impact.
“Here is a man whose record as a former local government chairman remains a subject of serious concern to many residents, now being presented as the person capable of providing leadership for the entire state.
“Then we have a serving senator whose political visibility on billboards appears, in our assessment, to be far greater than the tangible impact he has made in the 11 local government areas of Oyo South.
“That is difficult to reconcile with the expectations of voters who want a governor capable of managing an increasingly complex state,” the group said.
GSM Advocates argued that Ibadan, as the political and economic nerve centre of Oyo State and a city with a long history of producing influential political figures, deserved a governorship contest based on competing ideas, policies and measurable records.
It said the APC’s decision was particularly puzzling because, according to the group, the party had politicians whose experience and public profiles could have produced a more formidable contest in 2027.
“Despite the array of young, vibrant and experienced politicians within the Oyo APC, the decision to settle for a candidate whose record, in our view, does not demonstrate sufficient personal contributions to the development of his immediate constituency is difficult to understand.
“Oyo voters are not looking merely for political familiarity or the ability to put up billboards. They are looking for evidence of what a candidate has done, what he understands about the economy and what he intends to do differently,” it said.
The group specifically cited Adelabu and Folarin among others as politicians it considered stronger alternatives to Alli, arguing that either could have offered the APC a more competitive platform on which to challenge the ruling party.
GSM Advocates said Adelabu’s experience in the banking sector, his tenure in government and his exposure to national economic policy would have enabled him to bring a different dimension to the governorship contest.
It similarly described Folarin as an experienced politician with extensive knowledge of Oyo politics and the workings of government, arguing that his previous governorship experience could have strengthened the APC’s campaign.
The group, however, acknowledged that political contests were ultimately determined by voters and not political organisations or pressure groups.
It said its assessment was based on what it described as the need for Oyo State to have a governorship election in which candidates were compelled to present concrete programmes on economic growth, infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, agriculture, employment and urban development.
GSM Advocates said the 2027 election should not be reduced to personalities, the usual blame game or media propaganda, but should provide voters with competing visions for the future of the state.
The group also argued that the emergence of Bimbo Adekanbi as the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate had changed the political equation ahead of the election.
According to GSM Advocates, Adekanbi had so far distinguished himself among the emerging candidates through what it described as a combination of political experience, economic ideas and an understanding of the development agenda pursued by Governor Seyi Makinde.
It said Adekanbi was better positioned to provide continuity to what it described as the Makinde administration’s development trajectory, particularly in infrastructure, agriculture, education, healthcare and economic expansion.
“From all intents and purposes, Bimbo Adekanbi has remained the candidate most grounded in transformative ideas and economic policies capable of sustaining the development legacy of Governor Seyi Makinde.
“The 2027 election should therefore be about who has the capacity to move Oyo forward, not who has the loudest political machinery backed by funds from Abuja or the most billboards,” the group said.
GSM Advocates maintained that the APC’s choice of Alli could ultimately weaken its ability to mount an effective challenge against the APM and other contenders, insisting that voters would scrutinise the records of all candidates before casting their ballots.
It urged Oyo voters, particularly young people, professionals and members of the civil society, to demand evidence of performance from all governorship candidates and reject what it described as politics driven primarily by personal ambition.
The group said the electorate should interrogate the records of candidates before, during and after public office, adding that political parties could no longer expect voters to accept candidates simply because they had been endorsed by party structures on account of money politics.
It said the 2027 election provided an opportunity for Oyo voters to move beyond personality-driven politics and focus on competence, accountability, development and measurable results.
“Political parties must understand that the electorate is becoming more discerning. The people want to know what each candidate has done, what he intends to do and how he plans to achieve it.
“That is the standard that should determine the next governor of Oyo State and if anything at all, the last Osun election has evidently proven that regardless of the billions any political party may be planning to splash on vote buying, the people’s will and determination will always prevail,” The GSM Advocates said.
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