The political landscape in Oyo State has witnessed a major realigiment as former Senate Leader and 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The high-level meeting coincides with intensified party mobilization across Ibadan and the three senatorial districts, where key Oyo APC stakeholders are coalescing around Senator Sharafadeen Alli (APC, Oyo South) for the state’s governorship race.
Strategic Reconciliation in Villa
The meeting between President Tinubu and Senator Folarin marks a pivotal moment in patching up internal factional friction that fractured the Oyo State APC during the previous election cycle.
According to party insiders, the talks centered on building an unassailable unity front ahead of the upcoming electoral cycle, consolidating grassroots structures, and ensuring seamless coordination between federal appointees and state party leaders.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ OYO APC REALIGNMENT PILLARS │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Villa Consultation : Folarin & Tinubu align on party unity and │
│ state structure reconciliation. │
│ │
│ • Consensus Drive : Key leaders (Adelabu, Folarin, Buhari) moving │
│ toward a unified platform to reclaim Agodi Government House. │
│ │
│ • Frontline Momentum : Mobilization shifts strongly toward Senator │
│ Sharafadeen Alli as a central consensus candidate. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The Push for Sharafadeen Alli
Following the consultative talks in Abuja, momentum within the Oyo State APC executive and caucus has visibly gravitated toward Senator Sharafadeen Alli.
Alli, who currently represents Oyo South Senatorial District, has gained significant backing from major caucus leaders, including former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari. Party strategists view Alli as a bridge-builder capable of uniting the various legacy factions—spanning the Lam Adesina, Abiola Ajimobi, and Akala political families—under one umbrella.
“The lesson from 2023 was clear: division costs us Agodi House. What you are seeing now with Leader Folarin’s engagement at the highest level is the foundation for an unshakeable front. Senator Sharafadeen Alli possesses the acceptability, legislative track record, and grassroots reach to lead this push.” — Oyo APC Senior Stakeholder
Positioning to Reclaim Oyo State
With the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) navigating its own internal succession dynamics as Governor Seyi Makinde completes his second term, the APC is moving early to lock down its organizational framework.
Party leaders in Ibadan confirmed that unified ward-level mobilization meetings and harmonized stakeholder caucuses will roll out across all 33 local government areas in the coming weeks to consolidate the party’s foundation.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
