A prominent socio-political group, the Oyo Rising Citizens Forum (ORCF), has strongly condemned the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) over its recent criticism of Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s “Oyo AHEAD” manifesto, describing the opposition’s allegations as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
In a statement released on Wednesday, and signed by Alaba Adebisi and Owolabi Salam, the ORCF commended Senator Alli’s seven-pillar blueprint, arguing that it offers innovative solutions to governance gaps left by Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration and warning that the governor’s preferred successor, Bimbo Adekanmbi, merely represents a continuation of these failures.
The forum noted that the APM’s condemnation shows a complete disregard for the realities on the ground in Oyo State, where administrative and infrastructural gaps urgently require salvaging.
While contrasting the two political paths, the ORCF pointed out sharp differences between Senator Alli’s proposed policies and the current administration’s record, particularly in healthcare, local governance, education, and security.
The forum defended Senator Alli’s healthcare plan by highlighting that under the Makinde administration, primary healthcare centers (PHCs) are severely under-equipped and costly for ordinary citizens, who are routinely forced to pay out-of-pocket for medical cards, endure immediate referrals for basic diagnostic tests, and pay for their own medications and injections.
“Senator Alli has conversely committed to delivering fully furnished, functional, and equipped centres where essential care is genuinely accessible.”
Furthermore, the group criticised the current administration’s handling of local governments, accusing Makinde of stifling grass-roots development, while praising Alli’s pledge to grant full financial, administrative, and political independence to the 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) through an executive order on his first day in office to fund rural roads and community-level policing.
On education and public safety, ORCF alleged that current state policies have fallen short due to overcrowded classrooms and underfunded schools, endorsing Alli’s plan to cap classroom sizes at 30 pupils, restore autonomous governing councils to tertiary institutions, and directly equip neighborhood watch and local vigilante groups with operational vehicles and modern gear.
The ORCF concluded its statement by urging Oyo State residents to critically evaluate the manifestos ahead of the election, framing Senator Alli’s “Oyo AHEAD” agenda as the necessary framework to salvage the state’s key sectors from the continuity plan of Adekanmbi.