Former Senate Leader and 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin, has declared support for the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, urging aggrieved members to set aside their differences and work towards the party’s success in the forthcoming general elections.
Folarin made the declaration on Monday, October 19, during a meeting with Senator Alli and hundreds of party members, where he acknowledged the grievances arising from the party’s primaries.
He said it was understandable for aspirants who had invested years in pursuing their governorship ambitions to feel disappointed over the outcome of the process, stressing that their grievances should be acknowledged and addressed.
“I have invested 26 years of my life in becoming governor. If I feel cheated, am I not expected to be angry?” he said.
Folarin, however, expressed disappointment with the level of reconciliation efforts by a committee led by Professor Taoheed Adedoja and Senator Femi Lanlehin, saying it had achieved only about 20 percent of its target.
As part of efforts to address the internal crisis, Folarin disclosed that he had met with former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; Senator Abdulfatai Buhari; and former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan at Iyaganku, Ibadan.
“No more faaja (fight-to-the-finish), let’s unite to reclaim Agodi government house,” he said while urging the aggrieved party members to rally behind the party’s governorship candidate.
Folarin said the party must surpass the votes it secured for Tinubu in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election while working to ensure victory for its governorship and legislative candidates in 2027.
He also called for a review of the party’s reward system, arguing that members who contributed to its success should be recognised and rewarded rather than overlooked.
He urged Alli to work with party leaders to accommodate aggrieved members, and ensure that experienced politicians were not excluded from the reconciliation process.
Folarin called on party leaders and supporters across the state to take the reconciliation message, “Agodi straight”, beyond the meeting, urging them to inform members that efforts were underway to address their grievances.