Oyo South senator, Sharafadeen Alli, has emerged as the winner of the Oyo State All Progressives Congress governorship primary election ahead of the 2027 governorship poll.

According to reports, Alli secured 578,143 votes to defeat former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who polled 19,193 votes. Another aspirant also participated in the exercise.

Adelabu Raises Alarm Over Primary

Adelabu, who recently resigned from his ministerial position to contest the governorship seat, had earlier alleged that the primary election process was manipulated in some areas of the state.

Speaking with journalists after voting at his ward on Thursday, the former minister claimed reports reaching him indicated several irregularities during the exercise.

“I must sound this note of warning that it is not this way in a lot of other wards,” he said.

“Reports reaching me state that there are a lot of gross misconducts in the other wards, ranging from various forms of infractions.

“In some wards, they conducted the election hours before the appointed time and wrote the figures they liked.”

APC Eyes Return To Agodi Government House

The victory now positions Alli as the APC candidate expected to challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.

The APC last governed the state during the administration of late former governor, Abiola Ajimobi, before Seyi Makinde of the PDP assumed office in 2019.

Makinde has since announced a political alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples Movement in the state as preparations for the next governorship election intensify.