The campaign organisation of Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator (Dr) Sharafadeen Alli, has condemned what it described as deliberate attempts by some online platforms to sexualise and misrepresent an interaction between the candidate and students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
ADVERTISE HERE:
[email protected]
In a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Ibadan, the campaign explained the circumstances surrounding the now-viral video that shows a young male student seated on Senator Alli’s lap during an interview.
According to the statement, the students from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, visited the senator to seek his support for one of their programmes and to conduct an interview as part of their engagement. Upon their arrival, the number of people present exceeded the available seating, leaving insufficient chairs.
The campaign council 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. It insisted there was no inappropriate, sexual or suggestive intention behind the action.
“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,” the statement read.
The campaign described attempts to interpret the innocent gesture through a distorted political lens as mischievous and intellectually dishonest. It expressed particular concern over reports and insinuations by some online platforms that sought to attach an entirely different and inappropriate meaning to the encounter.
It maintained that Senator Alli has nothing to hide and has consistently engaged openly with young people, students and other stakeholders across Oyo State.
The statement 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 added.
It further 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 called “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.
Post a Comment
Drop Your Comment In The Box Below