As the All Progressives Congress (APC) steps up efforts to build support for Sharafadeen Alli ahead of the 2027 Oyo State governorship election, President Bola Tinubu met former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin in Abuja to address lingering party crisis in the state.
Journalists said the meeting aimed to unite key APC stakeholders as party leaders also look to settle internal disputes before the February 2027 governorship election.
Folarin represented Oyo Central Senatorial District in the Senate, contested the 2023 governorship election on the APC platform but lost to Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The senator hoped to contest the 2027 election, however, he withdrew after the APC chose Sharafadeen Alli as its governorship candidate and also skipped the party’s primary election.
Tinubu held the meeting as the APC intensified efforts to unite members behind Alli, several aspirants contested the ticket, including former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu.
The APC presented Alli and his running mate, Adesoji Adedeji, in Ibadan on July 2. Party leaders backed Alli after several consultations and adopted him as their consensus candidate.
Adelabu rejected the outcome. He said the APC’s national leadership had not officially announced the primary election result. He also urged members to ignore what he called premature claims of a consensus arrangement.
Journalists reported that Alli defeated Adelabu and other aspirants. The other contenders included former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Akeem Agbaje and Oyedele Alao.
Some aggrieved aspirants under the G5 group also opposed Alli’s emergence. They asked the party leadership to address their concerns.
The disagreement deepened divisions within the APC. Party leaders have urged members to close ranks. They warned that internal conflicts could weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 election.
A source familiar with the meeting said Tinubu wants Folarin to support Alli’s campaign. The source described the meeting as an important step toward restoring unity within the APC.
The source added that Tinubu promised to accommodate Folarin’s supporters in future political appointments and power-sharing at both the state and federal levels.
Journalists also gathered that Folarin will meet his supporters soon. He is expected to brief them on the outcome of his meeting with the President.
The APC hopes to reclaim Oyo State in 2027. The party lost the governorship to the PDP in 2019. It also failed to unseat Makinde in the 2023 election. Party leaders believe Alli can unite members and improve the APC’s chances of returning to power.
