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By Oluseye Ojo and Taiwo Oluwadare
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, on Friday officially entered the 2027 Oyo State governorship race.
Alli, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District, made the announcement at Yemetu Police Barracks in Ibadan. The programme drew party faithful and stakeholders from across the state.
The trio of Ibadan-born Fuji icons, Alhaji Abass Akande Obesere, Alhaji Saheed Okunola Osupa, and Alhaji Rasheed Ayinde Merenge, entertained participants during the well-attended programme.
But Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; former First Lady of the state, Florence Ajimobi; and former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin were not at the event.
In his speech, the lawmaker aligned himself with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, crediting it with reshaping Nigeria’s trajectory.
“To our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, your courage in reforming Nigeria inspires us to be bold in Oyo,” he said
Alli added that the administration had shifted the country’s narrative to renewed hope and a greater tomorrow.
Framing his ambition as service-driven, Alli said his decision followed consultations with political leaders, traditional rulers and residents across the state. He described the move as both a declaration of purpose, and a response to public demand.
“This is not about ambition alone. It is about responsibility, service and the future of Oyo State,” he said.
The former Ibadan North Local Government chairman (1991), who also served as Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff between 2003 and 2007 in Oyo State pointed to his experience as evidence of readiness for higher office.
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Alli outlined a broad policy direction centred on education, security, healthcare, infrastructure and economic growth, but offered limited specifics on funding and implementation.
He expressed concern over declining education standards, promising reforms to support innovation and long-term development.
On security, he said his administration would prioritise safety as a foundation for economic progress.
He also pledged to expand healthcare access, improve infrastructure linking rural and urban areas, and support small businesses, traders and artisans, who are the key drivers of the state’s informal economy.
“We will refocus development at the grassroots and ensure local governments function with real autonomy,” he said. On agriculture, the senator promised to promote modern farming and improve market access towards positioning the sector as a major economic pillar.
He further assured civil servants and pensioners of better welfare, timely payment of salaries and entitlements, and pledged merit-based reforms in the public service.
He also spoke on gender inclusion and the need to involve traditional institutions in governance.
While paying tribute to past leaders, Alli said his administration would build on existing legacies rather than discard them.
“I offer myself not as a master, but as a servant, tested and ready,” he said.
Dignitaries at the event included former deputy governor Iyiola Oladokun; Senator Yunus Akintunde, representing Oyo Central in the National Assembly; a member of House of Representatives, Remi Oseni, representing Ido/Ibarapa East Federal Constituency; Senator Ayoade Adeseun, who represented Oyo Central in the Senate from 2011 to 2015, as well as serving federal lawmakers, and Mrs Temitope Adeola Yayi, wife of a governorship hopeful in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
