AN ADDRESS BY DISTINGUISHED SENATOR SHARAFADEEN ABIODUN ALLI, Ph.D AT THE DECLARATION OF INTENT TO CONTEST FOR THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR OF OYO STATE
Protocol….
APC, APC, AP & C, Progress !!!
My dear people of Oyo State, Distinguished leaders, revered elders, energetic youths, resilient women, committed party faithful, and proud citizens of our great state—the Pacesetter State.
I stand before you today with a heart full of gratitude, a spirit lifted by hope, and a resolve anchored in service. Today is not merely a date on the calendar, today is a turning point and declaration of purpose. A new dawn is here, a call to service.
THE MOMENT OF RECKONING
After listening patiently to the voices of our people; after consulting widely with our leaders and stakeholders, traditional rulers and citizens across every zone of our beloved state, I stand before you to declare boldly, clearly and without hesitation my intention - to contest for the office of Governor of Oyo State in the upcoming 2027 general election.
This is not about ambition alone, it is about responsibility, It is about service, It is about the future and prosperity of the good people of Oyo State.
ROOTED IN SERVICE, TESTED IN EXPERIENCE
My journey in public service has never been about titles but an unrepentant quest for impact and progress.
As Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, we brought government closer to the people; strengthened institutions, improved infrastructure and ensured that governance was not distant, but present, visible and meaningful to the most populous local government in the State as its first democratically elected Chairman in 1991.
As Secretary to the Oyo State Government, I served tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that government worked for the people. Policies were not merely written; they were implemented. Decisions were not simply announced; they were felt in the lives of ordinary citizens.
As Chief of Staff to our father, Governor Rashidi Ladoja, I stood at the center of governance, coordinating, aligning and ensuring that leadership and administrative acumen translated into action.
And today, as Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, I have continued to raise my voice; not for myself, but for our people through legislation, advocacy and interventions that touch lives across various strata of our economy.
Your servant, your friend, your brother, your son and loyalist, Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli is not perfect, but proven accountable at all times and I will continue to be the same person you have always known.
THE OYO STATE PARADOX: BLESSED YET HUNGRY FOR MORE
My fellow citizens, we all know this truth: Oyo State is blessed. Blessed with history; the cradle of Yoruba civilization. Blessed with culture; a tapestry of traditions that enrich humanity. Blessed with fertile land that has fed generations. Blessed with hardworking people whose resilience defies description. And yet, we also know this: We can do more, we must do more. And together, we will do more. Together Everybody Achieves More.
Nelson Mandela, that titan of moral leadership, taught us that "a nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." Oyo State deserves leadership that measures itself not by the grandeur of offices, but by the dignity of its poorest citizen. Abraham Lincoln declared that government belongs to the people- I will ensure that in Oyo State, government returns to our people.
A VISION OF TRANSFORMATION
My vision is clear: To build an Oyo State that is prosperous, secure and inclusive -where no one is left behind. This vision rests on pillars that will define our path:
Education – The current state of education in the state( as released by various assessments body) is not good as expected of a State with many firsts. Education is not merely the transfer of knowledge, but the transformation of minds. We must build schools that are hubs of innovation, not just classrooms where dreams die. As the Chinese philosopher Confucius advised: "If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children." We must plan not just for our tenure, but for generations yet unborn.
Security – A state where a mother can sleep with her heart at ease, and a farmer can till his land without fear. Without security, there can be no development. Without peace, there can be no progress.
Healthcare – Where our General Hospitals are symbols of healing, not despair. Healthcare must not be a privilege for the few, but a right for all.
Infrastructure – Roads that connect not just our towns, but our hearts and our harvests to markets. Water that sustains our communities. Electrification that unlocks economic potential in our rural areas.
Economic Empowerment – Our traders, artisans, and small business owners are the heartbeat of our economy. Our youths are not merely leaders of tomorrow; they are the strength of today. We must create an enabling environment where the "Oyo Entrepreneur" becomes a global brand.
Local Government Administration – we will refocus development to the grassroots & empower the leaders at that level to work, deliver and allow them to work effectively.
Agricultural Renaissance – We will return agriculture to its rightful place as a pillar of prosperity, with modern tools, access to markets and support for agribusiness that makes farming profitable again.
Digital Transformation for all especially our teeming youthful population.
Civil Service – Building a modern, efficient civil service where excellence is rewarded and careers grow based on merit, not patronage.
MY GOVERNANCE PHILOSOPHY
We will govern with transparency. We will lead with accountability. We will serve with integrity. The servant-leader is a servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve.
To the women of Oyo State, you are our pillars of strength, builders of homes and rivers of progress, I hear you loud and clear. You will have your rightful place in governance and economic life of our State - this will simply affirm justice. Recently, I lent my voice to the bill on Greater Gender Inclusion in the Lawmaking Representation and Governance of our country.
To our fathers & traditional rulers and all community leaders, we honor your wisdom, we respect your role as custodians of our heritage and we will partner with you to strengthen our bond of progress & unity.
To all our pensioners, you have served, sacrificed, and given your best. Your dignity is not negotiable and you will get what belongs to you.
To our civil servants, you are the engine of governance. Your service deserves honor, not humiliation. Your status will be enhanced and salaries & wages are paid as and when due, your training and retraining will be treated as priority in line with global best practices.
STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
We stand on the shoulders of giants. I honor the legacies of leaders who have governed this state before: the late Alhaji Lam Adesina, whose courage and vision defined an era; Senator Rashidi Ladoja (now the Olubadan of Ibadanland), whose resilience, pragmatism & accomplishments taught us perseverance; the late Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, who governed with the people at heart and connected with the grassroots; and the late Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi, whose urban renewal vision and achievements transformed our cities & inter lands. They each added a brick to the house of Oyo. History now beacons that it is now our duty to complete the mansion; not by demolishing what they built, but by building better, stronger and more inclusive State.
A CALL TO COLLECTIVE DESTINY
My dear good people of Oyo State, this journey is not mine alone but OURS. It is the journey of the market woman in Ogbomoso, who rises before dawn to feed her family. Of the farmer in Oke-Ogun, whose hands feed the nation. Of the student, businesses and civil servants in Ibadan, whose dreams hold the keys to our prosperous future. Of the workers in Oyo town, whose labor builds our future. Of the citizen in Ibarapa, whose resilience & thirst for leadership inclusion inspires hope. It is the journey of all of us together.
Oyo State has always been the Pacesetter State—the first to see the sky through television, the first to house a premier university, the first in intellectual might. It is time to reclaim that front-row seat, not by words, but by works. Yes, challenges lie ahead. But I believe in you. I believe in us. And I believe in the boundless potentials of Oyo State.
As our fathers wisely said: "Ìjọba tí kò bá tọ́jú araalu rẹ̀, araalu á tọ́jú ara wọn." (A government that fails its people will be replaced by the collective will of those people.) I will not fail you.
SOLEMN PLEDGE
Today, I give you my word: I will lead with Integrity, so you can trust your government again. I will govern with Compassion, so you know you are heard. I will place the People above politics. I will remain your Sharafadeen—accessible, accountable and anchored in service. I offer myself to you today, not as a master, but as a servant. Not as a stranger, but as one of you. Tested. Prepared. Ready.
In conclusion, as I stand before all our people today especially our party leaders including men and women and our youths who have remained unshaken in our collective resolve to rescue the State, I am assuring you all that your labour of love for our collective aspirations will not go unrewarded. Our administration will be party-driven and everyone will have a say in the day to day running of our government. Together, we will build a State where other States would copy and see as a benchmark for quality leadership and egalitarian values of what real democracy should be to the people.
I appreciate all our party leaders at the State level -Her Excellency, Mrs Florence Ajimobi; Distinguished Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, OFR; Dr Zacch Adedeji; Chief Adebayo Adelabu (Honourable Minister of Power); former Deputy Governors (Chief Iyiola Oladokun, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo now our party State Chairman and Engr Rauf Olaniyan).
My colleagues in the Senate -Distinguished Senators Abdulfatai Buhari and Yunus Abiodun Akintunde, Ph.D and all our House of Representatives’ members; all my fathers and leaders in Ibadanland, Ibarapa, Oyo, Ogbomoso and Oke Ogun zones of our dear State, I remain eternally indebted to you all.
Once again, let me use His Excellency, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo to appreciate all the current party executives from the ward, local governments and State levels for their unflinching supports. I am equally grateful to our former State Chairman like Chief Akin Oke, Alhaji Moshood Olaide Abas and a host of others for their contributions to the enviable status of Oyo APC today. All our leaders, elders and compatriots in the APC, I doff my hat for you all.
To our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, your courage in reforming Nigeria inspires us to be bold in Oyo. We will carry the banner of "Progress" with pride and integrity. I wish to place on record that I remain committed to the progressive values and committed to the public good. God bless you, Mr President for changing our country’s narratives to that of renewed hope and greater tomorrow.
Let us rise together. Let us work together. Let us build together. Let us choose hope over fear. Progress over stagnation. Unity over division. And with your support, with your prayers, and with the grace of Almighty God, we will write a new chapter. We will build a greater Oyo State. We will move forward together.
Thank you. God bless you All God bless APC God bless Oyo State God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria