TINUBU HOLDS TALKS WITH FOLARIN AMID APC UNITY DRIVE IN OYO
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By: Fasasi Hammad
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday held a meeting with former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, in what appears to be a move to secure his support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Sharafadeen Alli.
The meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, is believed to be part of efforts to reconcile key stakeholders within the Oyo APC and strengthen party unity ahead of the February 2027 governorship election.
Folarin, who represented Oyo Central Senatorial District in the Senate, was the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election but lost to incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
His ambition to contest the 2027 governorship election was halted after the party settled for Alli as its candidate, prompting Folarin to stay away from the primary process that produced the APC flag bearer.
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The meeting comes as Tinubu and the APC leadership intensify efforts to consolidate support for Alli, whose emergence followed a keenly contested process involving several prominent aspirants, including former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
Alli was formally unveiled as the party’s candidate alongside his running mate, Adesoji Adedeji, during a ceremony in Ibadan on July 2. His candidacy followed consultations among APC leaders and stakeholders in the state, who endorsed him as a consensus candidate.
However, the process generated controversy, with Adelabu maintaining that the party’s national leadership had not officially announced the outcome of the primary. He urged party members to disregard what he described as premature claims of a consensus arrangement and await a formal declaration.
Reports indicated that Alli defeated Adelabu and other contenders, including former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Akeem Agbaje and Oyedele Alao.
A coalition of dissatisfied aspirants, known as the G5, also rejected Alli’s emergence and called on the party to address their concerns.
The APC’s decision to proceed with Alli’s candidacy exposed divisions within the party, leading some members to demand reconciliation before the election. Party leaders have since appealed for unity, warning that internal disputes could weaken the APC’s bid to reclaim Oyo State from the PDP.
A source familiar with the development said Tinubu’s engagement with Folarin is viewed as a crucial step in the party’s reconciliation efforts, given the former senator’s influence and role as the APC’s governorship candidate in 2023.
According to the source, the President assured Folarin that his supporters would be accommodated in future political arrangements at both the state and federal levels.
Folarin is also expected to meet with his supporters to brief them on the outcome of the discussions.
The APC is aiming to regain control of Oyo State in 2027 after losing power to the PDP in 2019 and failing to reclaim it in the 2023 election. Supporters of Alli have described him as a candidate capable of uniting the party and expanding its appeal across the state.
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