Folarin hosts Alli, deputy gov candidate, declares support for ambition

Former Senate leader and the Oyo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, Senator Teslim Folarin, has declared total support for the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Sharafadeen Alli and other candidates of the party in 2027 elections.

Folarin disclosed this on Monday while playing host to Senator Alli, his deputy, Adesoji Adedeji, and others in his residence in Ibadan, the state capital, appealed to the aggrieved members of the party to put the past behind them by working for the common goal of the party.

The former senate leader who raised Alli’s hand in a show of support at the gathering  said it was understandable that aspirants who had invested years in pursuing their governorship ambitions would feel disappointed by the outcome of the selection process.

“I have invested 26 years of my life in becoming governor. If I feel cheated, am I not expected to be angry?” he queried.

He added that aggrieved members deserved to be heard and appealed to.

He, however, expressed concern over the pace of reconciliation efforts by the committee led by Professor Taoheed Adedoja and Senator Femi Lanlehin, among others, saying it had achieved only about 20 per cent of its target.

He said mutual grievances had slowed the reconciliation process but stressed that the approaching elections made it imperative for party leaders to resolve their differences and work together.

Folarin disclosed that he had met with former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and former deputy governor, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, in Iyaganku, Ibadan, as part of efforts to address the crisis.

He urged party members to rally behind Alli, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of him as the coordinator of the Oyo State Presidential Campaign Council requires him to work towards the success of all APC candidates in the state.

According to him, the party must improve on the votes it secured for Tinubu in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election while ensuring that its governorship and legislative candidates emerge victorious in 2027.

Folarin also called for a review of the party’s reward system, insisting that members who contributed to its success should benefit from their efforts rather than be overlooked.

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He said Alli should work with party leaders to ensure that aggrieved members were accommodated, adding that experienced politicians should not be sidelined in the reconciliation process.

“We won’t allow Alli to rest until all aggrieved members get their own benefits,” Folarin said.

He urged party leaders and supporters to leave the gathering and spread the message that efforts were underway to resolve the crisis, stressing that little time remained before the elections.