The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator (Dr) Sharafadeen Alli, has condemned attempts by certain online platforms to sexualise and misrepresent an interaction between the candidate and some students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
This is contained in a statement issued by Senator Alli’s campaign office and made availablr to journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan.
The statement described the viral video, which shows Senator Alli with a student seated on his lap during an interview, as a deliberate attempt to manufacture a scandal where none exists.
It urged members of the public to disregard the misleading narratives being circulated about the footage.
According to the campaign, the students involved are from The Polytechnic, Ibadan. They visited Senator Alli to seek his support for one of their programmes and to interview him as part of their engagement.
The statement explained that, upon the students’ arrival at the venue, the number of people present exceeded the available seating capacity, leaving insufficient chairs for everyone.
It said Senator Alli, in a spontaneous and fatherly gesture, asked one of the students to sit on his lap so that the interview could proceed, emphasising that there was no inappropriate intention behind the action.
The campaign maintained that there was nothing sexual, suggestive or improper about the encounter, describing attempts to interpret an innocent gesture through a distorted political lens as mischievous and intellectually dishonest.
It expressed particular concern over reports and insinuations by some online platforms, which it said sought to attach an entirely different and inappropriate meaning to the encounter.
“It is deeply unfortunate that political desperation has descended to this level, where an ordinary interaction between a fatherly political leader and students who came to seek support for their programme is deliberately twisted into something sordid,” it said.
It added that political discourse should not be reduced to a level at which opponents and their online surrogates abandon proportion, decency and responsible journalism in their efforts to discredit a candidate.
The campaign maintained that Senator Alli has nothing to hide and has consistently engaged openly with young people, students, community members and other stakeholders across Oyo State.
It challenged those circulating the video to present it in its full context rather than selectively exploiting a brief moment to create a misleading narrative.
“Those who know Senator Sharafadeen Alli understand his disposition towards young people and his fatherly relationship with them. There is no basis whatsoever for the offensive insinuations being attached to this video,” it stated.
The statement also appealed to media organisations and social media platforms to exercise greater responsibility, noting that the reach of digital platforms carries an obligation to avoid damaging reputations through sensationalism, innuendo and politically motivated distortions.
It urged the public to reject what it described as “cheap political blackmail”, insisting that the 2027 governorship contest in Oyo State should focus on ideas, competence, development and the welfare of the people, rather than the deliberate sexualisation of an innocent human interaction.
The statement concluded that Senator Alli remains focused on his political campaign and engagement with the people of Oyo State, adding that no amount of manufactured controversy would distract him from presenting his vision and governance agenda to the electorate.