The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has unveiled a team of seasoned journalists and communication professionals to drive his media, publicity and strategic communication campaign ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The appointments, contained in a statement issued by Dare Adekanmbi, Media Consultant to Alli, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, are expected to strengthen the candidate’s public engagement and communication strategy ahead of the poll.
The statement named the Chairman of the South-West Guild of Online Publishers (SWEGOP), Mr Bisi Oladele, as Director of Media and Publicity.
Also appointed are veteran media practitioner, Mr Kehinde Olaosebikan, as Director of Strategic Communication, and Mr Bolaji Tunji as Director of Public Affairs.
The immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Chief Ademola Babalola, was appointed Deputy Director, while the Oyo State APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Olawale Sadare, will serve as Secretary of the media and publicity team.
Other professionals, including Mr Ayotunde Olude, are expected to work with the team across various communication platforms and genres.
Oladele, a seasoned multimedia journalist and communication strategist, has over 25 years of experience spanning journalism, public relations and strategic communication.
Until his latest appointment, he was the Executive Editor of Newspeak Media and Chairman of SWEGOP.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education (English) from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and a Master’s degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan.
He is also concluding a PhD programme in Political Communication at Lead City University, Ibadan.
Olaosebikan, who has extensive experience in government media relations and strategic communication, previously served as Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor Lam Adesina of Oyo State.
Tunji, another veteran journalist and communication practitioner, served as Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
According to the statement, the appointments were designed to strengthen Alli’s media visibility, strategic communication, public engagement and overall information management as the APC prepares for the 2027 general election.
The development signals the APC candidate’s move to assemble an experienced media machinery as political activities intensify in Oyo State ahead of the governorship contest.