Oyo 2027: APM Candidate Boasts of Inevitable Victory, Dismisses APC Criticism

The governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, has challenged his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to prepare his concession speech ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election.

Adekanmbi expressed confidence in his electoral chances following the APM governorship campaign flag-off held at Durbar Stadium, Oyo, on Saturday, which his campaign council described as a massive success.

“I look forward to Senator Alli’s congratulatory message because he cannot escape defeat,” he said.

The position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Co-Director, Media and Publicity of the Oyo State APM Campaign Council (OYSACC).

The council was reacting to a statement by the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), which reportedly criticised the turnout at the APM rally.

Dismissing the criticism, OYSACC described SSACO’s assessment of the rally as an attempt at political self-deception, insisting that the event attracted thousands of supporters, party members, community leaders, youths and women from different parts of the state.

According to the council, the turnout at the rally was evident to residents, political observers and the media, adding that attempts to portray the event as poorly attended would not change what it described as the growing acceptance of Adekanmbi’s candidacy.

“The truth is simple: SSACO saw the crowd, Oyo people saw the crowd, the media saw the crowd, and the entire state saw the crowd. The only people claiming otherwise are those whose political calculations were shattered by the massive show of support for Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi,” the statement said.

OYSACC further described SSACO’s reaction as a sign of concern over the APM candidate’s growing political profile and the party’s acceptance across the state.

It questioned why the APC campaign organisation would devote attention to an event it had described as insignificant, arguing that its response suggested that the rally had attracted more attention than anticipated.

The council also maintained that the enthusiasm displayed at the flag-off reflected public support for the developmental efforts of Governor Seyi Makinde and confidence in Adekanmbi’s capacity to sustain the state’s development.

It said the APM campaign would focus on issues such as employment, infrastructure, security, agriculture and economic growth rather than engage in arguments over crowd size.

“A serious campaign organisation would be discussing jobs, infrastructure, security, agriculture and economic growth. Unfortunately, SSACO appears more interested in counting chairs, editing photographs in its imagination and inventing narratives that collapse under the weight of evidence,” it added.

OYSACC described the rally as an indication of the momentum it believed the APM was building ahead of the 2027 election, insisting that the party would continue to engage residents and present its programmes.

The council reiterated its commitment to an issue-based campaign and urged political opponents to focus on policies and solutions that would improve the lives of residents.

It added that the campaign council remained confident that the turnout at the rally was evidence of increasing support for Adekanmbi ahead of the governorship poll.