Oyo APC candidate names campaign leader for 2027 election

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Sharafadeen Alli, has picked former Akinyele Local Government Chairman, Yemi Aderibigbe, as the Director-General (DG) of his campaign team for the 2027 election.

The announcement came on Tuesday. This is one of the APC's first big decisions as the party gets ready for a tough governorship race.

In a statement, Mr Alli said he chose Mr Aderibigbe because of his experience in grassroots work, party organization, and public administration.

He believes that the former council chairman will lead the party’s campaign across the state and help them regain power in Oyo State.

Mr Alli called Mr Aderibigbe a strong grassroots politician who has been active in progressive politics since his time as chairman of Akinyele Local Government.

“Yemi Aderibigbe is one of the pillars of progressive politics in our dear state. He has made immense contributions to the political, social and economic development of Oyo State,” Mr Alli said.

He asked the new campaign DG to use his leadership skills to manage campaign activities, rally party members, and grow the APC’s support across the state.

Mr Aderibigbe was chairman of Akinyele Local Government Area from 2008 to 2011. He then became Special Adviser on Transport under former Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Later, he joined Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration as Senior Special Assistant. He was then appointed Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters but resigned in October 2021.

Mr Aderibigbe also served as the Deputy DG for the APC in the 2023 governorship campaign. In that election, the party's candidate was Teslim Folarin, who ran against Mr Makinde.

Mr Alli won the APC governorship ticket after beating other candidates, including former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, during the party’s primary election.

His win puts him in a position to face the candidate of the incumbent Governor Makinde, Bimbo Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance, who is running on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Even though Governor Makinde is finishing his second and final term, the election will be competitive. Political parties are starting to choose their candidates for the next election. The APC wants to reclaim power after losing the governorship to the PDP in 2019.

Political watchers say that naming a campaign DG early shows the APC’s plan to start grassroots mobilization ahead of the election.