The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will on Friday formally unveil its candidates for the 2027 general elections, including its governorship flag bearer, Senator Sharafadeen Alli.
The presentation ceremony is scheduled to take place at the party’s state secretariat in the Oke Ado area of Ibadan, where the APC will also formally launch its campaign activities for the elections.
The party’s legal adviser in Oyo State, Sunday Aborisade, disclosed this during a chat with WestNG on Thursday.
He said candidates cleared to represent the APC at the National Assembly and state legislature would also be presented during the event.
Those to be unveiled include the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and Oyo State House of Assembly.
The development comes shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the names of candidates submitted by political parties for the various elective positions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Aborisade said the decision to proceed with the formal unveiling followed what he described as significant progress in efforts to reconcile members who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the party’s recent primaries.
He said the APC leadership had been working to resolve grievances arising from the primary elections before commencing its campaign in earnest.
“We want to ensure that we address all grievances arising from the last primaries of our party as much as we can, so that we don’t enter the campaign season with a divided house,” he said.
According to him, several aspirants who had expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the primaries and threatened to pursue legal action have now agreed to abandon such plans following the reconciliation efforts.
“The effort is already paying off. For example, as I speak with you, most of the aspirants who felt aggrieved by the final outcome of the primaries have agreed to stop further action on their initial threat to explore legal options in venting their grievances,” Aborisade said.
He added that although the reconciliation process was still ongoing, the party had made enough progress to begin its campaign activities.
“The effort is still ongoing. But I can tell you that we have made considerable progress. Now, we believe we are good to go. That is why the formal unveiling of the candidates is coming up now,” he said.
The APC had faced heightened internal tension following its primaries, with several aspirants and party members alleging that the conduct and results of some of the exercises did not reflect the preferences expressed by members on election day.
Some of the aggrieved aspirants accused the party leadership of injustice and alleged that candidates were imposed at the expense of those who enjoyed greater support among party members.
The disagreements became serious enough for the party to establish a reconciliation committee tasked with engaging dissatisfied members, resolving their complaints and securing their continued support for the APC ahead of the general elections.
The party’s national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, subsequently led a team of national officers to the State to receive the committee’s report and appeal to aggrieved members to remain within the fold.
Aborisade commended members of the reconciliation committee for their efforts, saying their intervention had contributed significantly to reducing the tension within the party.
He also said the national chairman’s visit had helped to further calm the situation and encourage reconciliation among members of the Oyo APC.
With the planned unveiling, the party is expected to shift its attention increasingly towards its electoral campaign as it seeks to consolidate its structure and present a united front ahead of the 2027 elections.
