Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall in Ibadan, Oyo State, is expected to host political stakeholders on Tuesday as Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, unveils his development blueprint ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The event, scheduled to hold opposite the main entrance of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, will feature the presentation of Alli’s manifesto, tagged Oyo AHEAD (Itayo Oyo), outlining his proposed policies and programmes for the state.
The unveiling comes about two months after Alli attracted widespread attention on social media following the circulation of a video showing a male student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, sitting on his lap during an interview at his campaign office in Mokola, Ibadan.
The footage, which generated mixed reactions, showed the senator touching and caressing the student’s lap while the interview was ongoing.
Following the controversy, Alli’s campaign organisation issued a statement explaining that the student and other members of the institution’s Department of Banking and Finance had visited him to seek support for one of their programmes and conduct an interview.
According to the campaign team, the office was overcrowded, leaving insufficient chairs for the visiting students.
It said Alli subsequently invited one of them to sit on his lap so that the interview could proceed.
The organisation described the gesture as spontaneous and fatherly, rejecting suggestions that the encounter had any inappropriate or sexual undertone.
The controversy nevertheless generated considerable online discussions about the conduct of public office holders, particularly politicians seeking elective positions.
Alli’s latest political engagement comes as preparations intensify for the February 6, 2027, governorship election in Oyo State, where 16 candidates representing different political parties have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The senator will face 15 other candidates, including Hazeem Gbolarumi of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abimbola Adekanmbi of the Allied Peoples’ Movement, Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke of the African Democratic Congress and Abdulrahman Oriyomi Hamzat of the Accord Party.
Other candidates on the list include Yinusa Ayandare of the Peoples Redemption Party, Salami Gbolagade of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Hassan Olanrewaju of the Zenith Labour Party, Kunle Olatunji of the African Democratic Party and Kareem Sola of the Labour Party.
The remaining candidates are Tijani Akinbode of the Action Peoples Party, Yusuf Adebola of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Adebiyi Adedapo of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Taofeek Adedamola of the National Rescue Movement, Taiwo Ibiyemi Otegbeye of the National Democratic Party and Olasupo Abdulsemiu of the Action Alliance Congress.
Alli, who currently represents Oyo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, emerged as the APC governorship candidate in July 2026.
He subsequently unveiled Adesoji Adedeji as his running mate.
His political experience includes serving as Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Chief of Staff to former Governor Rashidi Ladoja and Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company.
The Oyo AHEAD manifesto is structured around five major pillars, covering local government autonomy and infrastructure, healthcare, education and human capital development, agriculture and solid minerals, as well as security.
According to details published on the candidate’s campaign website, the blueprint also proposes improvements in transportation, electricity, water supply, housing, employment opportunities and grassroots development across the state’s 33 local government areas.
The manifesto presentation is expected to attract representatives of the organised private sector, labour unions, farmers, students, artisans, academics, traders, women’s groups, community development associations and non-indigenes.
All APC candidates for the 2027 elections, alongside party leaders and other stakeholders, are also expected to attend.
The campaign organisation, through its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, said the presentation would feature a sector-by-sector explanation of Alli’s proposed policies and programmes.
After the unveiling, the manifesto is expected to serve as a reference point for Alli’s engagements with voters and stakeholders as his campaign progresses.
The proposed policies will also provide residents with an opportunity to assess his priorities and compare them with those of other candidates seeking to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde.
With 16 political parties in the contest, the APC candidate faces the task of convincing voters across Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun, Oyo and Ibarapa that his proposed development agenda offers the best direction for the state.
