Group Wants APC NWC to Stop Safaradeen Alli from Parading Self as Oyo Guber Candidate

A pressure group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, operating under the banner of the Oyo APC Collective, has appealed to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to urgently intervene over what it described as attempts by Senator Sarafadeen Alli to portray himself as the APC’s governorship candidate for the 2027 Oyo State governorship election.

The group expressed concern that the continued circulation of claims suggesting the party’s governorship ticket had already been decided was creating unnecessary tension within the party and undermining the democratic process ahead of the official nomination exercise.

In a statement signed by its Convener, Elder Solomon Adetola, the group urged the APC national leadership to caution Senator Alli and those allegedly promoting the narrative, warning that failure to act promptly could deepen divisions within the party and discourage committed members.

According to the statement, party faithful who remain loyal to the APC should not be subjected to what it described as intimidation through the persistent promotion of what it called misleading information regarding the governorship ticket.

The group alleged that influential individuals within the state chapter of the party had embarked on a coordinated effort to create the impression that the race for the APC governorship ticket had already been concluded in favour of one aspirant, despite the absence of any official declaration by the party.

The statement reads:

“In the theatre of Nigerian politics, few performances are as predictable and undemocratic as the ongoing attempt by Sen. Sarafadeen Alli in the All Progressives Congress, his cohorts in the state executive, and a deep-pocketed sponsor to force a candidacy that remains unsettled.

“From the outset, the machinery was deployed to elevate one name above all others. State excos and sponsor treated the process as a private arrangement rather than a democratic exercise, laying the groundwork for what became a fiercely disputed primary. The objective was never open contest but the installation of a preferred candidate through influence and resources.

“Despite the outcome of that exercise, the same network continues to push a false narrative that the aspirant has emerged as the party’s gubernatorial candidate and that his name already appears on the INEC portal. The facts are otherwise: no name from the state has been uploaded by the party as its candidate. INEC has recognised no such candidate. The ticket has not been formally decided.”

The group further alleged that efforts were being made to reinforce the perception that the governorship ticket had already been settled through sustained publicity campaigns and endorsements.

It stated: “The jamboree persists through sponsored media campaigns, selective endorsements, and carefully planted stories designed to create the impression of finality where none exists. State executives in complicity with the sponsor act as though the matter is closed, even as the institutional record shows it is not.

“This sustained effort to manufacture legitimacy reveals a determination to present a fait accompli before any official process is completed.

“Such conduct is not politics in any classical sense. It is a prolonged attempt to impose one man’s candidacy on the party and the electorate ahead of formal recognition. The insistence on a settled outcome that does not yet exist only deepens internal distrust and exposes the gap between propaganda and reality.”

The Oyo APC Collective maintained that allowing the situation to continue unchecked could have serious implications for party cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the group, imposing any aspirant outside a transparent and widely accepted process could alienate stakeholders, weaken grassroots mobilisation and ultimately diminish the party’s electoral prospects.

The statement added: “The consequences for the party in the coming general elections could prove severe. A candidacy forced through controversy and denied formal consensus status risks alienating key stakeholders, demobilising grassroots structures, and handing over to the opponents a ready population of defectors due to their perceived narrative of imposition and illegitimacy.

“In a competitive electoral environment, such self-inflicted wounds can translate into fractured support, reduced voter turnout among party loyalists, and a weakened platform that struggles to withstand organised opposition. What begins as an internal power play may ultimately cost the party far more at the polls than its architects appear willing to contemplate.”

The group appealed to the National Working Committee to reaffirm the party’s commitment to due process and internal democracy by making it clear that no governorship candidate has been officially recognised for Oyo State until the appropriate constitutional procedures have been concluded.

It stressed that such clarification would help preserve confidence among party members, discourage premature declarations and ensure that every aspirant is given a fair opportunity to participate in what it described as a transparent and credible nomination process.