The All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate for Oyo State in the 2027 election, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has said reconciliation efforts within the party are yielding positive results, expressing confidence that the APC will contest the next election as a united force.
Alli, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District, stated this during a Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, programme tagged “A Day with BSA”in Ibadan on Monday.
The APC flag bearer who also unveiled his key policy priorities that would define the first 100 days of his administration, said restoring unity within the party was one of his immediate priorities after emerging as the governorship candidate.
According to him, consultations with stakeholders across the state are ongoing. He disclosed that he has met with former aspirants, members of the G-6 bloc, and other influential party leaders.
He added that President Bola Tinubu had also intervened by engaging the party’s former governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, to facilitate peace.
“We have been making conscious efforts to unite the APC. I have met with aspirants and spoken with members of the G-6. President Bola Tinubu has also engaged Senator Teslim Folarin and tasked him with reconciling all aggrieved members. We are already resolving the crisis, and I believe the party will emerge stronger and more united” Alli said.
He described his emergence as the beginning of a renewed drive to reposition the APC ahead of 2027, urging members to close ranks for victory.
On education, Alli promised to restore quality in public schools by reducing class sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils.
“We will return to 30 pupils per classroom because quality education begins with a conducive learning environment. We will upgrade facilities in all public primary and secondary schools and ensure that every child enjoys free, functional, and quality education from primary to secondary level,” he said.
He also pledged to reposition technical and vocational education by establishing and strengthening technical colleges across the state, and by integrating practical skills training into tertiary institutions.
“We must produce graduates with practical skills.Technical education will receive priority because it is critical to industrial growth and youth employment,” he added.
The senator further said his administration would end reliance on consultancy services in public schools, insisting that teachers and institutions must be adequately equipped.
Speaking on grassroots governance, Alli stressed that local government councils must be allowed to function effectively to deepen development.
“Our local governments must function efficiently because development starts from the grassroots. Once local governments work efficiently, governance becomes more impactful, ” he said.
On security, he advocated strengthening neighbourhood watch structures and proposed biometric registration of all residents of Oyo State.
“We need a comprehensive database of everyone living in Oyo State. Every resident should be registered with biometric details, including fingerprints. This will significantly improve intelligence gathering and strengthen our security architecture,” he said.
Alli maintained that education, security, youth empowerment, and effective local government administration would constitute the cornerstone of his administration’s first 100 days.
He expressed confidence that the proposed reforms would reposition Oyo State for sustainable growth and development.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Comrade Akeem Abbas, said the programme was designed to bring the programmes of political office seekers, especially governorship candidates, to the public domain.
He explained that the initiative would enable the electorate to know what the candidates have in stock for them and guide them in making informed decisions at the polls.
In attendance at the event are the state chairman of the party, Otunba Moses Alake-Adeyemo, the deputy governorship candidate, Soji Adedeji and other notable chieftains of the party in the state
