By Eke Ruth Onyekachi
The Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Oyo State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, of resorting to falsehood and blackmail over allegations surrounding the destruction of campaign billboards in Ibadan.
The APM, through its governorship campaign council, dismissed claims linking its candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, and the party to the alleged destruction of APC campaign materials, insisting that they had no involvement in the incident.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Director of Communication and Spokesperson of the Oyo State APM Governorship Campaign Council, Yinka Oladoyinbo, described the allegations as unsubstantiated and accused the APC of attempting to gain public sympathy ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Oladoyinbo said the party should not be held responsible for any incident involving APC campaign materials without evidence linking it to the act.
“The APM Governorship Campaign Council in the state says unequivocally that it has nothing to do with whatever happens to the campaign materials of the APC, and should not be dragged into such if it ever happened,” the statement said.
The council urged the APC and Alli to stop associating Adekanmbi with violence, describing the APM candidate as a peaceful individual who had never been linked to the destruction of other people’s property.
It further expressed confidence that the allegations would not affect the APM’s chances in the 2027 election, predicting that the APC would be defeated at the polls.
The council also accused the APC of previously attempting to blame members of the APM for attacks allegedly involving its leaders during political engagements in Oyo State.
In addition, it accused the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation of spreading misinformation over a claim, made two days earlier, that there was an outbreak of diphtheria in the state.
The APM argued that the allegations reflected what it described as the APC’s inability to present convincing programmes and policies to the electorate.
“It is obvious that the APC governorship candidate and his party have no tangible issue and programme with which they can convince the people to vote for them at the polls, hence their resort to deception and blackmail,” the statement said.
The campaign council also praised the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, claiming that the state’s development and service delivery over the past seven years had strengthened the case for continuity.
It maintained that residents would not want to return to what it described as the state’s dark era, adding that voters had become more aware of the need to sustain the state’s development.
Despite its criticisms of the APC, the APM called on security agencies in Oyo State to investigate the alleged destruction of the billboards and establish the authenticity of the claim.
The council also urged security operatives to identify those responsible for the incident, if established.
“We, therefore, want to appeal to security operatives in the state to thoroughly investigate the allegation with a view to ascertaining the authenticity of the claim and also expose those behind the act,” the statement added.
The APM further appealed to its members to remain peaceful and continue their political activities without fear, expressing confidence in the ability of security agencies to protect lives and property.
