The Oyo State APM Governorship Campaign Council has accused the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation of desperation and fear of defeat over its reaction to comments by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
The Co-Director (Media and Publicity) of the APM campaign council, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said the attempt to interpret Mohammed’s remarks as a political endorsement of President Bola Tinubu or a shift in allegiance was misplaced.
In a statement, Olanrewaju described Mohammed’s remarks as a routine act of intergovernmental courtesy, saying governors often acknowledge Federal Government interventions without necessarily changing their political positions.
He said, “The statement issued by the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation is not just desperate; it is a loud confession from an organisation that already senses the inevitability of defeat.”
Olanrewaju said Mohammed’s acknowledgment of Federal Government efforts did not amount to an endorsement of Tinubu or a rejection of Governor Seyi Makinde.
“Governor Bala Mohammed’s remarks were exactly what they appeared to be: a routine gesture of intergovernmental courtesy. It was not an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu, not a shift in political allegiance, and certainly not a denial of Governor Makinde’s leadership,” he said.
He recalled that Makinde had also acknowledged the role of the Federal Government in the rescue of victims of the May 15 kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The APM spokesman said such acknowledgments were part of normal relations between governments and should not be interpreted as political realignment.
He added that Mohammed’s remarks did not erase his earlier position that Makinde was well suited for the presidency.
“It does not erase his earlier description of Makinde as being the best suited for the presidency, nor does it confer any strategic advantage on the APC at either the national or state level. No alliance was formed, no defection announced, and no political concession made,” Olanrewaju said.
He accused the Alli campaign organisation of attempting to distract attention from what he described as Makinde’s growing political influence by focusing on Mohammed’s comment.
According to him, “Unable to counter Makinde’s performance with substance, they resort to distortion, hoping that noise might substitute for substance.”
Olanrewaju further argued that Makinde’s record in Oyo State had continued to strengthen his political profile, describing the governor as a leader whose “steady, pragmatic and people-centred style” was attracting wider attention.
He said the attempt to turn Mohammed’s statement into a major political development was “intellectually dishonest” and capable of undermining the importance of intergovernmental cooperation.
“Nigerians understand the difference between genuine political alignment and routine administrative acknowledgment. The Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation’s attempt to blur that line only highlights its own desperation,” he said.
Olanrewaju expressed confidence that the electorate would reject what he described as political theatrics, insisting that the opposition would not be able to use the issue to weaken Makinde’s political standing ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He said, “Clinging to Bala Mohammed’s comment will not change their fate. The electorate is determined to keep them perpetually away from the Agodi Government House.”
