Adekanmbi’s Interview Rattles Alli’s Camp, Says Oyo APM Campaign Council

The Oyo State chapter of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has accused the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, of becoming increasingly unsettled following an interview granted by APM governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, on Fresh FM, Ibadan.

The allegation was contained in a press release issued on Sunday by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Co-Director, Media and Publicity, Oyo APM Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council.

The statement followed a response by Senator Alli’s campaign organisation, which reportedly threatened legal action over Adekanmbi’s comments, as well as an article titled “Electing Adekanmbi as Oyo Governor Will Spell Total Doom for Oyo LGs.”

Describing the article as political fearmongering disguised as analysis, the APM campaign council argued that its claims were based on assumptions and exaggerated predictions rather than verifiable facts.

At the centre of the controversy is Adekanmbi’s position that no state governor can independently grant local government autonomy, a statement his supporters insist has been misrepresented as opposition to autonomy.

According to the council, local government autonomy is a constitutional issue governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and cannot be granted unilaterally by a state governor.

“Recognising this reality is not opposition to autonomy; it is simply an acknowledgment of the legal framework within which governments operate,” the statement said.

The campaign council accused Adekanmbi’s critics of using the issue to construct an exaggerated narrative about the alleged collapse of grassroots governance should the APM candidate emerge victorious in the 2027 governorship election.

It further argued that the intensity of the criticism reflected growing anxiety among political opponents over Adekanmbi’s engagement with residents and his promise to sustain the achievements of Governor Seyi Makinde.

The statement also challenged claims that local governments in Oyo State had been weakened, maintaining that councils under elected leadership continued to function and execute development initiatives.

It listed investments in rural roads, primary healthcare, education, agriculture and security as areas in which the Makinde administration had pursued grassroots development.

“If local governments have truly been destroyed, as the writer dramatically claims, why are councils still initiating and commissioning projects?” the council queried.

On the Supreme Court judgment concerning local government financial autonomy, the APM campaign council argued that its implementation involved legal and institutional processes and could not fairly be reduced to partisan campaign slogans.

It also recalled Adekanmbi’s question during the Fresh FM interview, asking: “In which APC-controlled state does local government autonomy currently exist?”

The council maintained that Adekanmbi’s promise to build on Makinde’s achievements should not be interpreted as an intention to replicate every policy or practice criticised by political opponents.

It said continuity in governance should involve preserving successful programmes while improving areas that require reform.

“Continuity does not mean duplication. It means sustaining what works while improving what requires improvement,” the statement added.

The APM campaign council urged residents to distinguish between legitimate political criticism and what it described as attempts to instil fear about Adekanmbi’s candidacy.

It concluded that the candidate remained focused on building on existing progress, strengthening institutions and expanding opportunities for the people of Oyo State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The statement was signed by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Co-Director, Media and Publicity, Oyo APM Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council, and dated October 25, 2026.