The Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Akeem Bimbo Adekanmbi, has dared his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to proceed with his campaign organisation’s threat of legal action.
This was as Adekanmbi maintained that intimidation and political fearmongering would not prevent Alli’s electoral defeat in the 2027 governorship election.
The APM campaign council said the threat of a lawsuit followed Adekanmbi’s recent interview on Fresh FM, Ibadan, during which he discussed local government autonomy and challenged Alli to demonstrate his contributions to advancing the constitutional and financial independence of local governments.
This was contained in a statement released on Sunday by the Co-Director of Media and Publicity of the Oyo APM Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
He described the legal threat as an indication that Alli’s camp was unsettled by Adekanmbi’s growing political profile and direct engagement with the electorate.
Olanrewaju said the campaign was prepared for any legal action, adding that the APC candidate’s camp should follow through on its threat rather than resort to what he described as political intimidation.
“First came the puerile statement from Senator Alli’s campaign organisation, threatening legal action. We dare them to follow through. Their candidate may ultimately be forced to withdraw from the race,” he said.
The APM campaign council’s response also followed the publication of an allegedly sponsored article titled, “Electing Adekanmbi as Oyo Governor Will Spell Total Doom for Oyo LGs,” which it accused of distorting the APM candidate’s position on local government autonomy and attempting to portray his potential emergence as governor as a threat to grassroots governance.
Olanrewaju argued that the article relied on assumptions, exaggerated predictions and hypothetical scenarios rather than verifiable evidence to support its conclusion.
At the centre of the controversy, he said, was what he described as a deliberate misrepresentation of Adekanmbi’s assertion that a state government could not unilaterally grant local government autonomy.
According to him, acknowledging the constitutional limitations of a governor’s powers should not be interpreted as opposition to local government autonomy.
“The constitutional reality is straightforward. Local government autonomy is not a favour dispensed by governors; it is a constitutional matter governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
He maintained that no governor could unilaterally amend the Constitution or grant powers beyond those provided by law, arguing that Adekanmbi’s position reflected an understanding of the legal framework governing the relationship between state and local governments.
The APM spokesman accused Adekanmbi’s critics of using the issue to construct an alarmist narrative about the future of local government administration in Oyo State should the former commissioner emerge victorious in the 2027 election.
He further argued that the intensity of the attacks suggested that political opponents were concerned about the reception Adekanmbi’s message was receiving among residents.
According to him, the APM candidate’s promise to sustain and improve on the achievements of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration had unsettled those who preferred to portray his candidacy as a threat to the state’s existing development programmes.
“The attempt to portray every statement he makes as a danger to the state suggests a camp struggling to contain the growing appeal of a candidate whose message of continuity, stability and progress is resonating with the electorate,” Olanrewaju said.
He added that the people of Oyo State would ultimately determine the outcome of the election based on their assessment of the candidates, their records and their policy proposals.
Defending the performance of local governments in the state, the APM campaign council rejected claims that grassroots governance had collapsed under the Makinde administration.
Olanrewaju said local governments continued to function under elected leadership, with projects and public services being implemented in communities across the state.
He cited interventions in primary healthcare, rural roads, education, agriculture and security as evidence of the state government’s commitment to grassroots development.
He also questioned the basis for portraying local government administration in Oyo State as a complete failure, arguing that the existence of ongoing community projects and public service delivery contradicted such claims.
“If local governments have truly been destroyed, as the writer dramatically claims, why are councils still initiating and commissioning projects?” he asked.
The APM spokesman also faulted what he described as the politicisation of the Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy, arguing that the implementation of constitutional provisions and judicial decisions required appropriate legal and institutional processes.
He said the matter should not be reduced to campaign rhetoric intended to score partisan points ahead of the 2027 election.
During his Fresh FM interview, Adekanmbi had challenged Alli to explain what he had done during his time in the Senate to advance local government autonomy.
The APM candidate also questioned whether local government autonomy was being fully implemented in states controlled by the APC, asking, “In which APC-controlled state does local government autonomy currently exist?”
The question, according to Olanrewaju, underscored what he described as the inconsistency in the opposition’s criticism of the Makinde administration over the issue.
However, the APM campaign council’s defence of the state government’s record did not amount to a claim that all aspects of local government administration were beyond criticism.
Rather, it maintained that allegations of total collapse were exaggerated and should be assessed against verifiable evidence of projects, services and institutional performance.
Olanrewaju further argued that Adekanmbi’s pledge to build on Makinde’s achievements should not be misconstrued as a commitment to reproduce every existing policy or preserve shortcomings.
He said continuity, as advocated by the APM candidate, meant retaining successful programmes, strengthening institutions and improving areas requiring greater attention.
“Continuity does not mean duplication. It means sustaining what works while improving what requires improvement,” he said.
According to him, any responsible administration should build on established foundations instead of abandoning successful programmes merely to distinguish itself from its predecessor.
The APM campaign council maintained that voters in Oyo State were capable of distinguishing between legitimate political criticism and what it described as attempts to generate fear about the consequences of Adekanmbi’s election.
It said the candidate would remain focused on his campaign message of consolidating existing development gains, strengthening institutions and expanding economic opportunities across the state.
Olanrewaju said the campaign would not be distracted by threats of litigation or attacks from political opponents, insisting that the 2027 election should be determined by the electorate rather than what he described as fear-driven narratives.