Adekanmbi vs Alli: Between substance and sensationalism

OPPOSITION, at its best, is democracy’s conscience, a disciplined force that interrogates power, enriches public debate, and offers citizens a credible alternative. In Oyo State today, however, both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation appear to have drifted far from that noble responsibility. What should be principled engagement has been reduced to a cycle of accusations, theatrics, and unfocused hostility. In place of ideas, they offer indignation; in place of solutions, spectacle. Rather than strengthening democratic discourse, they diminish it and, in doing so, undermine their own claim to leadership. Increasingly, their conduct follows a predictable pattern: reflexive allegations that collapse under scrutiny. Claims are announced with theatrical certainty, yet when evidence is demanded, none is produced. Assertions replace facts; outrage substitutes for insight. The result is an opposition bloc that weakens itself rather than enriching the democratic process. One of their most persistent claims is that Governor Seyi Makinde has “paralysed” local government administration. Yet the facts on the ground tell a different story. Local governments continue to meet their obligations: salaries are paid, projects are executed, and essential services are delivered. Roads are being rehabilitated, primary health centres are functioning, community facilities are being upgraded, and grassroots interventions have not stalled.

This allegation is not rooted in the performance of the councils but in the opposition’s need to sustain a narrative of dysfunction where none exists. It collapses under basic verification, yet is repeated with the confidence of a script rehearsed for effect rather than truth. This is not oversight; it is political theatre and not even a convincing one. In effect, the APC is telling the public that it has nothing to offer. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the APC and the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation’s approach is not the allegations themselves, but the silence that follows when the question turns to their own vision. For all the press releases, briefings, and indignation, neither the party nor its candidate has told the people what they would do differently if entrusted with power. There is no blueprint. No policy direction. No economic plan. No governance philosophy. No roadmap for security, education, infrastructure, or youth development. Just noise. Opposition is not merely about pointing out what is wrong; it is more about illuminating what could be right. Yet the opposition has offered nothing, not even a sketch of the future. This vacuum is worsened by the APC’s internal dilemma: its standard bearer, Barrister Sharafadeen Alli, lacks the stature, clarity, and policy grounding required to inspire confidence across the state.

Political analysts often observe a familiar pattern: when a party lacks a coherent agenda, credible policies, or a strong candidate, it substitutes substance with spurious allegations. Noise becomes a shield for emptiness; outrage becomes a distraction from the absence of ideas. This pattern is unmistakable in the behaviour of the APC and the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation. Their barrage of accusations is not evidence of vigilance; it is evidence of a vacuum. Instead of presenting solid plans or strong alternatives, they resort to sensational claims that collapse under scrutiny. In politics, this is not a strategy, it is a confession of incompetence and unpreparedness. A campaign confident in its candidate speaks of ideas and possibilities. A campaign uncertain of its candidate resorts to noise. The absence of a coherent vision is not a trivial flaw; it is a fundamental failure. A political organisation seeking to govern must articulate what governance under its leadership would look like. It must present a philosophy, a direction, a plan. It must show that it understands the complexities of the state and has the capacity to address them. When a campaign cannot do this, it forfeits the right to be taken seriously.

This contrast becomes even sharper when placed beside the consistent elucidation of plans by the Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidate, Honourable Bimbo Adekanmbi. While the APC and the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation rely on allegations, the APM candidate has repeatedly articulated clear, structured, and people‑centred proposals for the future of Oyo State. His engagements focus on policy, not theatrics; on solutions, not sensationalism. Where the opposition offers noise, Adekanmbi offers direction. Where they recycle accusations, Adekanmbi outlines programmes. Where they evade scrutiny, he welcomes it with detailed plans. Adekanmbi’s contributions have reinforced the seriousness of the APM’s agenda. In education, he emphasises modernised learning environments, teacher retraining, and curriculum upgrades that prepare students for a competitive global economy. His focus on STEM, digital literacy, and school infrastructure stands in sharp contrast to the opposition’s fixation on allegations. On capacity development, he outlines programmes aimed at equipping young people with practical skills, from vocational training to entrepreneurship, ensuring that Oyo’s workforce is prepared for emerging opportunities. His advocacy for strengthened primary healthcare, improved hospital facilities, and community‑based interventions demonstrates a clear understanding of the state’s needs. These proposals show what governance looks like when grounded in data and compassion, not theatrics.

READ ALSO: APM dismisses Oyo APC reconciliation committee, predicts failure ahead of 2027

Similarly, Adekanmbi has repeatedly stressed the importance of positioning Oyo State as a digital‑economy hub through broadband expansion, tech‑startup incubation, digital‑skills training, and partnerships with private‑sector innovators. These ideas reflect a modern, future‑ready vision, the very thing the APC has failed to articulate. Adekanmbi’s clarity underscores a simple truth: serious politics is about ideas, not accusations. His coherence only magnifies the emptiness of the APC’s approach. History offers a warning. This was the fatal flaw that weakened the UK Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn. Between 2015 and 2019, Labour perfected the art of destructive opposition: loud, accusatory, ideologically rigid, and internally divided.

It hurled allegations at the ruling Conservatives but failed to offer coherent alternatives. It embraced ideological grandstanding instead of practical governance. And when voters finally asked, “What will you do differently?” Labour had no answer.

The result was historic: Labour suffered its worst electoral performance since 1935 because voters concluded that “The Labour people are not serious.”

Oyo APC and the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation are now walking that same path.

Every unsubstantiated allegation chips away at their credibility.

Every burst of drama shrinks their relevance.

Every moment spent shouting instead of explaining signals to voters: “These APC people are not ready to govern.”

Internal disunity only deepens the problem. The party is battling schisms, contradictory public statements, and leaders undermining one another. Instead of presenting a united front, the opposition is divided and reactive, more focused on internal supremacy than public service. This is not the posture of a party determined to win an election; it is the posture of a bloc preparing for a catastrophic defeat.

Desperation is not a strategy; it is a symptom. And the desperation now visible in the APC and the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation is tied directly to the weakness of their candidate. A strong candidate inspires confidence, rallies supporters, and anchors a campaign with clarity and purpose. A weak candidate forces the campaign to rely on noise, sensation, and distraction.

When a political organisation believes its candidate cannot win on ideas, it tries to win on agitation. When it fears its candidate cannot inspire hope, it tries to manufacture fear. When it knows its candidate cannot articulate a credible future, it tries to discredit the present.

But voters are not fooled. They can distinguish between genuine oversight and political theatre. They can tell when criticism is grounded in fact and when it is driven by desperation. They can see when a campaign is offering a future and when it is merely shouting at the present.

Opposition, when exercised with integrity, is one of democracy’s highest duties. It demands clarity of purpose, steadiness of vision, and a commitment to the public good that rises above partisan impulse. When a political party abandons these obligations and embraces a politics of accusation, noise, and internal discord, as the APC has done, it does not weaken the government; it weakens itself.

With its theatrics and noise, it is clear that the Oyo APC is warming up for another four years in the cold as an opposition party as APM’s Bimbo Adekanmbi coasts home to victory.

•Dr Olanrewaju is Co-Director (Media and Publicity) of the Bimbo Adekanmbi Governorship Campaign Council.