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From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has promised to grant local government areas (LGAs) and local council development areas (LCDAs) autonomy from May 29, 2027, if elected, as Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, donated 32 campaign vehicles to support the party’s electoral mobilisation.
Alli made the pledge yesterday during the inauguration of the Oyo State chapter of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement and the presentation of the vehicles at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, formerly known as Liberty Stadium, in Oke Ado, Ibadan.
He assured residents that his administration would grant autonomy to all local government areas and LCDAs from the first day of his tenure.
“All our LCDAs and LGs will have autonomy on the day we are sworn in on May 29, 2027,” he said.
The APC candidate expressed appreciation to Tompolo, the Grand Patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, for donating the vehicles to strengthen the party’s campaign and grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Alli promised that the vehicles and other campaign materials donated by support groups would be used judiciously to achieve the party’s electoral objectives.
He said the APC was determined to reclaim power in Oyo State after spending several years outside government, expressing confidence that the party would secure victory at the presidential, governorship and legislative levels.
“We have stayed out of government in Oyo State for too long, and we are working assiduously to ensure we take over the government in 2027,” he said.
He added that the party was committed to securing the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and winning seats in the National Assembly and the Oyo State House of Assembly.
Alli recalled that Oyo State recorded the highest number of votes for Tinubu in the South-West during the 2023 presidential election, saying the APC was working to surpass that performance in 2027.
He urged eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and arrive early at their polling units to vote for APC candidates on election days.
Speaking on behalf of Tompolo, Chief Kestin Pondi said the 32 vehicles were donated to support the mobilisation of voters for Tinubu and other APC candidates in Oyo State.
Pondi reaffirmed the movement’s commitment to Tinubu’s re-election, describing the President’s economic reforms as necessary steps towards national development and a better future for younger generations.
He acknowledged the difficulties associated with economic reforms but maintained that the sacrifices being made would yield benefits in the future.
“Reforms are never easy in the beginning. That is what we are all experiencing now. But we will enjoy later. We must pay the sacrifice today for our children to enjoy in the future,” he said.
Pondi urged residents to support Tinubu, Alli and other APC candidates, adding that the movement would intensify its grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.
The National Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Comrade Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, also called on residents to mobilise support for the APC candidates and encourage eligible voters to participate in the electoral process.
Asuku urged party members to adopt door-to-door campaigns, visit communities and persuade voters to support Tinubu and Alli in 2027.
He also encouraged eligible voters to collect their PVCs and turn out on election day to exercise their civic responsibilities.
In his remarks, the Oyo State APC Central Senatorial Chairman, Dr Joshua Oyebanji, who represented the party’s state chairman, Chief Moses Adeyemo, commended Tompolo for the donation.
Oyebanji expressed confidence that the APC would win the 2027 elections at all levels, including the presidency, governorship and legislative seats.
He said the party would soon commence full-scale campaigns, urging members to remain committed to its mobilisation activities.
Similarly, the Oyo State Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Akinjide Kazeem Akinola, expressed optimism that the state would deliver more votes for Tinubu in 2027 than it did in the previous presidential election.
“Oyo State gave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the highest vote in the South-West in 2023. We will give the President the highest vote in Nigeria in 2027. Let us work hard to achieve this,” Akinola said.
