The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has activated the party’s grassroots campaign structure ahead of the 2027 general elections, charging newly inaugurated local government campaign managers to strengthen mobilisation across the state.
Alli spoke during the inauguration of Local Government Campaign Managers for the BSA/Adedeji team at the APC Campaign Office in Dandaru, Mokola, Ibadan.
The APC candidate said the campaign managers would be responsible for converting the party’s existing political structures into active mobilisation networks across Oyo State’s 33 local government areas, wards and communities.
The move represents another stage in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 polls following the unveiling of Alli as its governorship candidate and Adesoji Adedeji as his running mate earlier in the election cycle.
Alli Pushes Grassroots Mobilisation
Addressing the campaign managers, Alli said the party’s focus should extend beyond the governorship election to other contests on the 2027 ballot.
He said the APC was targeting the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and Oyo State House of Assembly elections, describing grassroots engagement as essential to achieving the party’s electoral objectives.
“We are strategically positioned to win the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and House of Assembly elections in Oyo State in 2027,” Alli said.
“But victory requires hard work at the grassroots. We must go to the people, engage them and strengthen our structures across the state.”
He charged the local government campaign managers to deepen engagement with party members, supporters and other stakeholders within their areas.
According to Alli, the managers have a responsibility to ensure that the APC’s organisation extends from local government headquarters to individual wards and communities.
The campaign structure is also expected to communicate the party’s programmes and messages to voters as political activities intensify ahead of the elections.
APC Candidate Calls for Unity
Alli also emphasised internal cooperation, telling members that the campaign should be approached as a collective party project rather than an individual political undertaking.
“This is not about individuals. It is about the party and our collective responsibility to build a stronger APC in Oyo State,” he said.
The call for unity follows earlier reconciliation efforts within the Oyo APC after the contest for the party’s governorship ticket.
When Alli and his running mate were formally unveiled in July, party leaders called on members who had supported other aspirants to close ranks. Alli similarly described his emergence as a collective party outcome and appealed for reconciliation among members.
The reconciliation message remained prominent when the APC unveiled its candidates for the 2027 elections in September. Alli said those who had contested the governorship ticket with him should be regarded as stakeholders in the party rather than opponents.
Aderibigbe Says Campaign Structure Taking Shape
Director-General of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, Yemi Aderibigbe, said the inauguration represented another stage in preparations for the election.
He urged members to work together and consolidate the APC’s structures across the state.
Aderibigbe, a former chairman of Akinyele Local Government Area, was appointed campaign director-general in July. At the time, Alli said the appointment reflected Aderibigbe’s experience in grassroots mobilisation, party organisation and public administration.
The latest inauguration suggests the campaign is moving from central organisation towards more localised mobilisation.
Race for Agodi Government House Intensifies
Alli currently represents Oyo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly. His candidacy forms part of the APC’s attempt to return to the Oyo State Government House after two terms outside the governorship.
The party has also unveiled candidates for the state’s other elective positions as it builds its organisation ahead of 2027.
Alli’s campaign has presented priorities covering areas including agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, youth empowerment, economic development, accountability and welfare.
Those campaign commitments will form part of the wider policy debate as Oyo voters assess candidates and parties ahead of the election.
The inauguration of local government campaign managers does not determine electoral support or the eventual outcome, but it signals that the APC is moving deeper into its organisational phase, with grassroots mobilisation now taking a more prominent role in its 2027 strategy.
