The Oyo State governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, on Thursday promised to restore school governing boards, reduce class sizes to 30 pupils and provide free education from primary to junior secondary school if given the opportunity to govern the state come 2027.
He made this promise at a dialogue organised by the Oyo Leadership Initiative, themed, “Redefining Leadership and Governance in Oyo State,” held at Thikadol Event Centre, Ring Road, in Ibadan, the state capital.
He said, “We will ensure that the atmosphere is teaching and learning-friendly. We will put in place good infrastructure. Payment of running grants would be returned to primary and secondary schools. We will ensure our schools are safe and have instructional materials in schools.
“It won’t be like the governing councils of our tertiary institutions in Oyo, which are not functional. In our tertiary institutions, it is a consultant that is running them, and the consultant takes 10 per cent from what the students are paying. A consultant that probably does not know how to govern a school. We would make the governing councils in our tertiary institutions functional,” the APC guber candidate promised.
He further assured prompt payment of salaries and allowances, special incentives for teachers serving in rural areas and the establishment of information and communication technology centres for students across the 33 Local Government Areas of the state.
“This would improve our learning system, and we will make education free from primary school to junior secondary school. Most of the problems we have emanate from the local governments not functioning.
Local governments are supposed to run with the state on the economy, security, infrastructure and education, but that is not the case in Oyo.”
Speaking on healthcare, the APC candidate streseed that free services for infants, babies, older people and pregnant women, as well as functional primary healthcare centres in throughout the council areas would be given adequate attention, adding “my administration would conduct a census of residents to improve planning for education, healthcare and the economy.”
He also promised to revitalise the state Agribusiness Development Agency, introduce mechanised farming and improve access roads to farms to reduce transportation costs and the prices of agricultural produce.
On security, he said our administration would establish a neighbourhood watch system and deploy technology to strengthen surveillance, with solar farms and modular grids providing electricity for security equipment.
On Ibadan Circular Road, the APC guber candidate assured that the original plan was for a 150-metre corridor, comprising 75 metres on each side, and promised to review the expansion to 500 metres if allowed to take the mantle of leadership in 2027.
Earlier, the convener of OLI, Abiola Ali, said the group was established in November 2025 to promote good leadership and governance in the state.
“The initiative has 103 members and is still open to professionals from different fields who wish to contribute to Oyo’s development. Alli is the most suitable among the governorship candidates because of his integrity, experience and leadership qualities.”
Dignitaries at the event were the state APC chairman, Moses Adeyemo; the party’s secretary, Fatai Adesina; party woman leader, Felicia Opatunde; the Director-General of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, Yemi Aderibigbe, campaign organisation’s Director of Mobilisation, Director of Public Affairs, Bolaji Tunji; APC House of Representatives candidate for Ibadan North-West/South-West Federal Constituency, Folake Olunloyo-Osinowo; the campaign organisation’s Deputy Director-General, Sola Ogunbode, and a host of others.