Former Oyo State governorship candidate and senator, Teslim Folarin, has declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, urging party members dissatisfied with the outcome of the governorship primary to put their differences aside ahead of the 2027 elections.
Folarin made the appeal on Monday, raising Alli’s hand at a gathering as a public show of support for the party’s candidate.
Acknowledging the tension within the APC following the primary, Folarin said it was understandable for aspirants who had spent years pursuing their governorship ambitions to feel disappointed with the outcome.
“I have invested 26 years of my life in becoming governor. If I feel cheated, am I not expected to be angry?” he asked, noting that aggrieved members needed to be heard rather than ignored.
He, however, warned that the party could not afford to allow internal disagreements to undermine its chances in the 2027 elections.
Folarin expressed concern over the progress of reconciliation efforts led by a committee that includes Professor Taoheed Adedoja and Senator Femi Lanlehin. He estimated that the process had achieved only about 20 per cent of its target, blaming the slow progress on unresolved grievances among party members.
As part of efforts to address the crisis, he disclosed that he had met with former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari and former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan at Iyaganku, Ibadan.
Folarin urged APC members to begin aligning with Alli, saying his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as coordinator of the Oyo State Presidential Campaign Council placed a responsibility on him to work towards the success of all APC candidates in the state.
He said the party must improve on the votes Tinubu received in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election while also working to secure victory for its governorship and legislative candidates in 2027.
Beyond reconciliation, Folarin called for a review of the party’s reward system, arguing that members who had contributed to its growth and electoral efforts should not be overlooked.
He also urged Alli to work closely with party leaders to accommodate aggrieved members, stressing that experienced politicians should have a place in the reconciliation process.
“We won’t allow Alli to rest until all aggrieved members get their own benefits,” Folarin said.
He encouraged party leaders and supporters to take the message of reconciliation back to their various groups and communities, insisting that time was running out and the APC needed to resolve its internal disputes before the elections.
Folarin’s public endorsement of Alli comes amid efforts to unite the Oyo APC after its governorship primary, with party leaders facing the task of bringing dissatisfied aspirants and their supporters together ahead of the 2027 contest.
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