The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has threatened legal action against the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, over allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.
The campaign organisation, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, described Adekanmbi’s allegations as false and aimed at damaging Alli’s reputation ahead of the governorship election.
The controversy followed comments reportedly made by Adekanmbi during a radio interview concerning Alli’s record while serving as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government.
The APC campaign challenged the APM candidate to produce the report or evidence supporting his allegations, warning that failure to do so could lead to a defamation suit.
The organisation accused Adekanmbi of distorting historical facts and using past challenges faced by local governments to score political points against Alli.
Defending the APC candidate’s record, the campaign said Alli prioritised workers’ welfare and ensured prompt payment of salaries during his tenure as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government. It also said his administration received recognition from the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State.
The campaign organisation attributed some of the financial difficulties experienced by local governments at the time to a January 1993 policy of the Federal Military Government concerning staff promotions and salary increases.
It argued that the challenges were not peculiar to Alli’s tenure and continued beyond his time in office before being addressed through subsequent institutional interventions.
The group also criticised the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, alleging that local government administration in the state had been weakened.
It said Alli, if elected governor, would strengthen the administrative and financial capacity of Oyo State’s 33 local government areas and improve their ability to deliver services to residents.
The campaign further identified the reconstruction of feeder and access roads as one of its priorities, saying improved road networks would facilitate the movement of people and goods and stimulate economic activities.
The APC campaign urged Adekanmbi to focus on issue-based political engagement and present concrete proposals for the development of Oyo State rather than what it described as attempts to rewrite history for political advantage.
