The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has dared his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to proceed with threatened legal action over allegations concerning Alli’s tenure as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government.
The confrontation followed Adekanmbi’s appearance on Fresh 105.9FM Ibadan’s Political Circuit programme, where he questioned Alli’s promise to implement local government autonomy if elected governor in 2027.
During the interview, Adekanmbi also alleged that financial mismanagement occurred during Alli’s tenure and claimed that workers who protested unpaid salary arrears were arrested and sent to prison.
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) subsequently challenged the APM candidate to provide evidence supporting his corruption allegations against the APC governorship hopeful.
In a statement issued on Saturday, SSACO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, described the allegations as politically motivated claims intended to damage Alli’s reputation ahead of the 2027 election.
The organisation rejected Adekanmbi’s account of events during Alli’s tenure as council chairman, maintaining that the senator prioritised workers’ welfare and ensured prompt salary payments.
It also attributed financial difficulties experienced by local governments during the period to nationwide funding challenges following federal policy changes in the early 1990s.
SSACO challenged Adekanmbi to produce the documentary evidence supporting his allegations, warning that failure to substantiate them could result in a defamation suit.
However, the Oyo APM Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council has challenged Alli’s camp to proceed with the threatened legal action.
In a statement signed by its Co-Director of Media and Publicity, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the council said the response to Adekanmbi’s interview suggested that his political opponents were unsettled by his campaign message.
“We dare them to follow through,” the council said, referring to the legal threat, while claiming that the controversy could ultimately affect Alli’s participation in the governorship race.
The APM council also criticised an article titled “Electing Adekanmbi as Oyo Governor Will Spell Total Doom for Oyo LGs”, describing it as political fearmongering rather than a balanced assessment of the candidate’s position.
It accused the author of misrepresenting Adekanmbi’s argument that state governors cannot independently grant local government autonomy, insisting that the position did not amount to opposition to the principle.
According to the council, local government autonomy is a constitutional issue, while implementing the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government financial autonomy requires legal and institutional processes involving multiple stakeholders.
The council also rejected claims that grassroots governance had collapsed in Oyo State, pointing to projects involving rural roads, primary healthcare, education, agriculture and security as evidence of continued development.
It challenged Alli and his supporters to explain how local government autonomy was being implemented in APC-controlled states.
On governance continuity, the APM council said Adekanmbi’s pledge to build on Governor Seyi Makinde’s achievements should not be interpreted as a commitment to reproduce every policy of the current administration.
“Continuity does not mean duplication. It means sustaining what works while improving what requires improvement,” the statement said.
The exchange has intensified political debate over local government administration, financial autonomy and the records of the two candidates as parties prepare for the 2027 Oyo State governorship election.
The corruption allegations against Alli remain disputed, with SSACO demanding evidence and threatening legal action over the claims.
