Four former Oyo APC governorship aspirants have settled their differences with Sharafadeen Alli and pledged to support the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State is intensifying efforts to resolve internal differences ahead of the 2027 elections, with four politicians who contested the party’s governorship primary now pledging to work with its candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli.
The development followed a reconciliation initiative led by a committee headed by former senator Olufemi Lanlehin, which has been engaging stakeholders who expressed reservations about the outcome of the party’s governorship primary.
Those who have now reached an agreement with Alli include former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Engr. Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan; Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao; Prince Musbau Asatola Asanike; and Dr. Ololade Usman Bakare.
Their decision represents a significant step towards rebuilding unity within the party after the governorship primary and could provide the APC with a broader political base as it prepares for the next general election.
However, the reconciliation process has not involved all the party’s major stakeholders at the same time.
Senator Teslim Folarin, former Minister of Power and governorship aspirant Adebayo Adelabu, as well as Akeem Agbaje, Hakeem Alao and former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, were absent on Wednesday when the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, met with members of the state’s reconciliation committee in Ibadan.
The absence of some of the stakeholders highlights the fact that efforts to achieve complete reconciliation within the Oyo APC are still ongoing, despite the progress recorded with the four aspirants who have now pledged their support for Alli.
Speaking during a press briefing in Ibadan, Lanlehin explained that the reconciliation committee was established because the party could not afford to carry unresolved grievances into the 2027 election season.
He said 11 aspirants participated in the governorship primary, adding that some subsequently expressed dissatisfaction with the process or its outcome.
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Rather than allowing those disagreements to deepen, the committee began consultations with the affected politicians in an effort to identify areas of common interest and find a way forward.
According to Lanlehin, the discussions showed that members of the party had considerably more in common than the issues that had separated them following the primary.
He said the four politicians had therefore decided to put the contest behind them and focus on the larger objective of strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
Lanlehin described the agreement as evidence that personal political ambitions could be set aside in favour of the collective interest of the party.
He said the reconciliation represented a choice of unity over division and collective interest over individual ambition.
The committee chairman also stressed that the dynamics of a general election were different from those of a party primary.
According to him, a governorship candidate seeking victory at the polls must be able to bring together different interests within the party instead of depending only on those who supported him during the primary.
“No candidate can win a general election by relying only on those who supported him in the primary. A governorship election is won by a united political family,” Lanlehin said.
Following the reconciliation meetings, the four aspirants issued a communique in which they pledged their “unwavering and unflinching support” for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Alli and other APC candidates who will contest the 2027 elections.
They also agreed to work with the party’s leadership and campaign structures towards securing victory for the APC at the polls.
The commitment could become important as the party prepares its campaign structure because former aspirants often have political networks and supporters developed during the period leading to the primary.
Bringing those networks into the wider campaign could help the APC strengthen its grassroots mobilisation and broaden support for its candidates.
Meanwhile, the reconciliation committee disclosed that its engagement with members of the APC “G6” group of governorship aspirants had been concluded, with Barrister Akeem Agbaje remaining the exception.
The committee’s continued consultations indicate that the effort to settle differences within the Oyo APC is not yet over.
The four reconciled aspirants have also expressed their intention to meet with President Tinubu at a mutually convenient date to reaffirm their support for his 2027 presidential ambition.
The proposed meeting is expected to further demonstrate their renewed commitment to the APC and its candidates as preparations for the next election continue.
For the Oyo APC, the reconciliation comes at a period when political parties are gradually positioning themselves for the 2027 electoral contest.
The party’s ability to maintain cohesion among its leaders, former aspirants and grassroots members could play an important role in determining the strength of its campaign structure.
Disagreements following party primaries are common, particularly where several aspirants compete for a single ticket.
The major challenge, however, is preventing such disputes from developing into permanent divisions that could weaken the party during the general election.
The intervention of Lanlehin’s committee is therefore aimed at ensuring that the outcome of the governorship primary does not permanently damage relationships among the party’s leading figures.
For Alli, the support of former contenders could also provide an opportunity to widen his political reach beyond those who backed him during the primary.
The APC will nevertheless need to sustain the reconciliation process and continue engaging stakeholders who have yet to fully align with the new arrangement.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, the party’s ability to transform the latest reconciliation into practical cooperation across wards and local government areas will be crucial.
For now, the agreement reached with the four aspirants gives the Oyo APC an opportunity to begin rebuilding its political structure around a broader coalition, even as further efforts continue to bring other aggrieved stakeholders into the fold.
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