After a supposed list of “consensus” candidates for upcoming elections surfaced, tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State increased.
The names of candidates chosen for Senate, House of Representatives, governorship, and deputy governorship were purportedly included on the contentious list that leaked over the weekend.
Sharafadeen Alli, the senator from the Oyo South Senatorial District, was listed as the party’s nominee for governor.
Alli, a native of Ibadan, was the Oyo State Government’s secretary in the past.
Mr. Soji Adedeji, a resident of Ogbomoso and the younger brother of Federal Inland Revenue Service Chairman Zacchaeus Adedeji, is also named as a contender for deputy governor.
According to reports, the list also showed that Aderemi Oseni, a member of the House of Representatives, was scheduled for the Oyo South Senatorial District.
Additionally, Yunus Akintunde was designated to run again for the Oyo Central Senatorial seat, and Mrs. Hannah Ogunrsan, a former Head of Service under former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, was selected for Oyo North.
According to reports, a number of names were included for the House of Representatives, representing constituencies in the Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Ibarapa, and Oke-Ogun zones.
Findings, however, showed that many candidates who had made significant financial investments in their political aspirations expressed discontent with the list.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a few disgruntled party members called the move “unsettling” and warned that it would widen rifts inside the party.
They maintained that, if accurate, the purported imposition of candidates threatens internal democracy and justice.
In response, Olawale Sadare, the APC’s Oyo State Publicity Secretary, called the list “fake” and “misleading.”
He revealed that an investigation had already been started by the party to find the people responsible for its distribution.
“It’s phony. Since a new list of alleged Oyo APC candidates was discovered on social media a few hours ago, the leadership of our wonderful party has actually started looking into the minds behind its proliferation,” he stated.
Sadare also reassured party members that there is currently no official list of candidates, emphasizing that the electioneering process has not yet started.
“We can reassure our enthusiastic members and supporters that the list is not only fraudulent, but also inflammatory and misleading. Since it is not yet time for the expression of interest, nomination, and party primary, we do not currently have any aspirants or candidate lists for 2027,” he continued.
