Politics in Oyo State has suddenly become heavy with tension as two rival political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), clash over accusations that cut to the heart of the democratic process. With campaigns gathering momentum across the state’s 33 local government areas, the air is filled with claims and counterclaims, sharp allegations, and deep suspicion. At the centre of the storm are the APC’s Oyo State governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and the APM’s governorship candidate, Honourable Bimbo Adekanmbi. The APC says it has had enough after billboards belonging to its candidate were allegedly vandalised in several parts of Ibadan, the state capital. The APM, in response, denies any involvement and accuses the APC of fabricating stories to win sympathy from voters who are preparing for the 2027 elections. What emerges from the duelling statements is a picture of a political contest that is becoming increasingly bitter, where the line between truth and propaganda is being blurred, and where the people of Oyo State are being pulled into a war of words that may distract them from the real issues that matter in their daily lives. Both parties say they want peace, but each seems eager to lay blame at the door of the other, leaving residents to wonder whether the campaign season will be defined by honest debate or by dangerous accusations.
The APC, through the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, known as SSACO, raised the alarm that supporters of Adekanmbi had vandalised Alli’s billboards in many parts of Ibadan. In its statement, the APC recalled that this incident came shortly after Senator Alli’s wife and two other APC candidates were attacked in Ibadan the previous week. For the APC, these events are not isolated acts of mischief but a deliberate pattern of violence aimed at intimidating its candidate and supporters. The party described the alleged destruction of campaign materials as “barbaric” and “completely unacceptable,” insisting that Nigerian democracy has moved far beyond such crude tactics. It also claimed that the anger behind the vandalism reflects a growing fear within the circle of Governor Seyi Makinde and Adekanmbi, as they face the reality of an impending defeat in the forthcoming election. The APC argued that even if the ruling side fears losing, there is never any justification for attacking candidates or destroying their billboards. In the party’s view, the people of Oyo State are wiser now and will not be swayed by violence or intimidation. The statement suggests that such behaviour belongs to the past, to the “dark days of brigandage,” and that the modern political landscape demands respect for democratic values, including the right of every candidate to campaign freely and without fear.
Beyond the immediate accusations, the APC issued strong warnings and appeals. It called on “APM hoodlums” to desist from what it described as a reprehensible act and to refrain from stoking tension in Oyo State, which it described as a peaceful state. The party directly called on Governor Seyi Makinde and Honourable Adekanmbi to rein in their supporters, urging them to call their “goons” to order before the situation spirals out of control. The APC also appealed to the Commissioner of Police and the heads of other security agencies to investigate the alleged vandalism thoroughly, fish out the perpetrators, and ensure they face the full weight of the law. For the APC, this is not merely about damaged billboards; it is about the fundamental right of every political candidate to reach voters with their message. The party made clear that its candidates would not surrender that democratic right, even in the face of provocation. At the same time, the SSACO urged all APC members and supporters in Oyo State to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands. They were told to resist the provocation by what the APC described as Adekanmbi’s hoodlums, with the party adding a proverb-like phrase: “he who is down fears no fall.” The statement ended with a reminder of the APC candidate’s vision, a governance blueprint called “Oyo AHEAD,” which, if elected, Senator Alli promises will restore the glory of the state and put it on a faster path to development for the benefit of all citizens.
The APM was quick to push back, insisting that there was no truth in the APC’s claims. Through its Media Director, Yinka Oladoyinbo, the APM accused the APC of whipping up sentiments to curry favour with voters. The APM Governorship Campaign Council stated unequivocally that it had nothing to do with whatever happened to the APC’s campaign materials and should not be dragged into the matter, even if the alleged vandalism did occur. The party strongly warned the APC and its candidate to stop linking Adekanmbi and the APM to any act of violence involving the APC and its members. It described Adekanmbi as a well-known man of peace who has never been associated with any activity that could lead to the destruction of other people’s property. The APM said no amount of falsehood or unfounded allegations against Adekanmbi would stop the APC from being defeated at the polls in 2027. It argued that the people of Oyo State are fully aware of the APC’s tactics and are familiar with its habit of spreading lies and falsehood to endear itself to the electorate. According to the APM, this is a pattern that has been recurring since electioneering gained momentum. The party suggested that the APC is struggling to find genuine issues to discuss and has therefore chosen to rely on deception and blackmail rather than a meaningful message for the voters.
The APM went further, reminding the public of earlier incidents that it said showed the APC’s tendency to manufacture stories. It recalled that only a few days before the billboard claim, the APC had orchestrated a false narrative when it tried to blame its internal crisis on APM members, claiming that some of its leaders had been attacked by APM members during some of its engagements. Then, just two days before the billboard allegation, the APC alleged that there was an outbreak of diphtheria in Oyo State, a claim the APM dismissed as part of the same pattern of deceit. According to the APM, these repeated fabrications reveal that the APC and its candidate have no tangible issues or programmes with which to convince the people to vote for them, so they have resorted to desperate tactics. The APM also defended the record of Governor Seyi Makinde, saying that his administration over the past seven years has been characterised by peaceful coexistence and development. It argued that the people of Oyo State have experienced good governance and excellent service delivery under Makinde and will not return to what it called the “dark era.” The APM believes that continuity is the best option to sustain and extend the state’s development, and that voters are wise enough to understand this. Finally, the APM appealed to security operatives in the state to thoroughly investigate the allegation, ascertain the truth, and expose those truly behind the act, while also appealing to its own members to remain peaceful and continue their electioneering activities without fear, trusting that the security agencies will protect their lives and property.
In the end, this clash between the APC and APM reflects a deeper anxiety within Oyo State’s political landscape as the 2027 elections draw closer. Both parties speak the language of peace, yet both are quick to accuse the other of violence, falsehood, and manipulation. For ordinary residents, the drama is troubling because it distracts from the issues that truly affect their lives: healthcare, education, roads, jobs, safety, and the future of their communities. Vandalising billboards, whether done by one side or the other, is a cowardly act that reveals a weak argument, and spreading unverified accusations is equally damaging to the democratic process. The people of Oyo State deserve better than a campaign season defined by fear and suspicion. They deserve candidates who will present clear plans, answer difficult questions, and respect the right of every opponent to be heard. Democracy, at its best, is not about tearing down the other person’s message but about building a stronger case for your own. Both the APC and the APM have urged their supporters to remain calm and have called on security agencies to act fairly. What remains to be seen is whether those words will be matched by actions, and whether the coming months will bring honest debate or more bitter confrontations. As the political temperature continues to rise, the hope is that cooler heads will prevail, that investigations will be thorough and transparent, and that Oyo State will once again show that its people are wiser than the politics of division and destruction. After all, in a democracy, it is the ballot box, not the billboard, that should ultimately decide who leads.