The campaign organisation of Senator Sharafadeen Alli has accused Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of attempting to use local government funds to mobilise supporters for his presidential campaign rally in Akure, Ondo State.
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) alleged that the governor had directed the 33 local government councils in Oyo State to finance the mobilisation of members of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) for the zonal rally.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued by the organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, who described the purported directive as another instance of the alleged misuse of funds meant for grassroots development.
The campaign organisation said the development came shortly after the state government budgeted N4.2 billion for the local government election scheduled for December 29, 2026, with the councils reportedly required to contribute 60 per cent, amounting to N2.52 billion.
It also questioned the financial implications of the planned election expenditure, noting that the exercise was already the subject of litigation.
SSACO accused Makinde of prioritising his alleged presidential ambition over the welfare of residents in the state’s local government areas.
The organisation further alleged that the governor was seeking to impose Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi on the people of Oyo State as part of what it described as an unconstitutional third-term agenda.
According to the statement, the alleged mobilisation directive reflects the organisation’s concerns about the administration’s handling of local government finances over the past seven years.
SSACO argued that diverting council resources to political activities would undermine the provision of essential services and infrastructure at the grassroots.
It cited rural roads, bridges, schools and hospitals as areas requiring urgent attention and urged local government chairmen to resist any directive that could compromise their councils’ development priorities.
The organisation also renewed its criticism of Makinde’s position on local government financial autonomy, alleging that the existing arrangement gives the governor excessive control over council resources.
It called on the governor to respect the rule of law in the dispute surrounding the forthcoming local government election and reconsider policies it said could weaken the financial capacity of the councils.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, SSACO urged voters in Oyo State to reject Makinde and Adekanmbi and support Alli.
The campaign organisation pledged that, if elected governor, Alli would promote local government autonomy from May 29, 2027, arguing that greater financial independence for councils would accelerate development across the state.
It also presented Alli’s Oyo AHEAD agenda as its proposed framework for achieving the state’s development objectives.
The allegations against Makinde were contained in the campaign organisation’s statement. The statement did not include a response from the governor or the state government to the specific claim that local government councils had been directed to finance mobilisation for the Akure rally.
