Folarin backs Alli for 2027, says Oyo APC reconciliation only 20% done

Teslim Folarin, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State in 2023, has thrown his weight behind Sharafadeen Alli, the party's pick for 2027, in a move aimed at closing a rift opened by the primary.

Folarin, a former Senate Leader, made the declaration in Ibadan on Monday, raising Alli's hand before party supporters who gathered to welcome him back from a trip abroad. He had rejected the outcome of the primary that produced Alli, with his camp alleging irregularities and asking for a fresh contest.

According to Naija News, President Bola Tinubu met Folarin and asked him to support both his own re-election bid and Alli's governorship run. The report said Tinubu also hosted Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, who represents Oyo North and was another aggrieved aspirant, at the Aso Rock Villa over the weekend.

Folarin did not hide the pain of losing. "I have invested 26 years of my life in becoming governor. If I feel cheated, am I not expected to be angry?" he said, adding that those who missed out deserve a hearing.

Reconciliation slow, time short

He said the committee set up to bring the party together, led by Professor Taoheed Adedoja and Senator Femi Lanlehin, has covered only about 20 per cent of its task. In his view, grievances on all sides have slowed the work, and with the elections approaching, the party cannot afford a long quarrel.

Folarin said he had met former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, Senator Buhari and former deputy governor Rauf Olaniyan at Iyaganku, Ibadan, as part of efforts to settle the differences.

He tied his new stance to his role as coordinator of the Oyo State Presidential Campaign Council, a position he said President Tinubu gave him. That, he argued, makes him responsible for the success of every APC candidate in the state, not just one.

He asked party members to deliver more votes for Tinubu in Oyo than in 2023, and to work for wins in the governorship and legislative races. He also wants the party to review how it rewards loyal members, saying those who labour for its success should not be forgotten.

Turning to Alli, Folarin said the candidate must keep party leaders close and make room for those who feel sidelined. "We won't allow Alli to rest until all aggrieved members get their own benefits," he said.

He urged supporters to carry the message home that the party is working to settle its differences, warning that little time remains before the elections.

What happens next

The test is whether the Adedoja and Lanlehin committee can convert public endorsements into real peace at ward and local government level, where aggrieved members decide whether to work for the ticket or stay away. For Oyo voters, a united APC means a clearer contest in 2027; a divided one could weaken the party's hold on the state.