Senator Sharafadeen Alli has unveiled his 2027 governorship blueprint to restore local council autonomy and overhaul public education in Oyo State.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Iyaganku, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate outlined a wide-ranging platform centered on administrative decentralisation, economic restructuring, and security reform.
Alli argued that the concentration of authority at the state level has crippled grassroots development, directly correlating the erosion of council powers with rising insecurity and rural decline across Oyo State.
A cornerstone of the proposed administration is the complete implementation of constitutional autonomy for all 33 local government areas. Under the plan, local councils will regain direct control over statutory allocations to manage primary healthcare, rural road maintenance, and agricultural development independently.
Senator Sharafadeen Alli and the Battle for Grassroots Governance
The focus on local authority autonomy reflects a broader structural debate across Nigeria regarding fiscal federalism and state-level centralization. For years, sub-national governments across the country have faced criticism for withholding statutory funds meant for local councils, leaving rural populations without basic amenities or functional primary healthcare.
By framing local governance as the primary engine for security and agricultural output, the APC proposal seeks to challenge the incumbent administration’s centralized development model. If implemented, returning financial independence to local councils could transform regional security frameworks by allowing communities to directly fund and coordinate local vigilante networks alongside federal police forces.
Education Overhaul and Ending External Management
To tackle falling academic standards, Alli committed to eliminating external management consultants from tertiary institutions, returning administrative control to statutory governing councils. He also targeted primary and secondary education, committing to enforce a maximum ratio of 30 pupils per classroom to reverse the state’s ranking in national examinations.
“Schools are being run by consultants, and that has also led to capital flight. These consultants take 10 per cent of all the revenue generated from our students. We will rout them out,” Alli said.
“In education, we will return to the policy of 30 pupils per class. Today, public schools in Oyo State have up to 120 pupils in a classroom, and that hinders effective learning. We will provide free, quality education up to the secondary school level. We will recruit more teachers and improve their welfare. Today, Oyo State is ranked 27th in WAEC performance. We will reverse that,” the lawmaker said.
Beyond social infrastructure, the strategy addresses stagnant state assets, proposing the commercial revival of the Agbowo Shopping Complex and the full operationalisation of the state’s Free Trade Zone.
Fiscal Realities and Internal Party Alignment
Economic targets in the plan include establishing processing industries across all geopolitical zones, constructing agricultural feeder roads, and eventually developing an intra-state rail network. On civil service welfare, Alli promised regular salary payments before the 25th of each month, alongside the restoration of the 13th-month bonus and prompt pension disbursements.
However, executing this platform depends heavily on party cohesion following competitive primary contests. Alli acknowledged existing internal disputes but insisted reconciliation efforts were progressing.
“It is not out of place to see aggrieved aspirants in a strong political party like the APC which paraded array of well qualified and competent individuals who had shown interest in contesting for the party’s ticket. I want to assure you all that grievances from the fallout of the gubernatorial primary election of the party in the state would soon be resolved,” he said.
NUJ State Chairman Akeem Abas noted that the union remains politically neutral, serving as an open platform for all gubernatorial contenders to present their agendas to the electorate ahead of the 2027 polls.
