Sunday Oni joins APC in Oyo with supporters, pledging to mobilise across the state for the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 elections
Sunday Oni, a leader of the Obidient Movement and Labour Party figure in Oyo State, has joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, alongside supporters in Ibadan ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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The development was announced by Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, following a gathering in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Alli said Oni was received into the APC alongside what he described as thousands of supporters at an event attended by Oyo State APC Chairman Moses Adeyemo, Aderemi Oseni and other party leaders.
Oni said his decision followed his experience in the political alliance that supported Governor Seyi Makinde during the 2023 election.
Reports from the event said Oni expressed disappointment with the outcome of that political arrangement, although the account reflects his own assessment of the relationship and its aftermath.
The move marks a shift for a political figure associated with the Obidient Movement, which mobilised substantial support for Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 election.
Oni said the movement would now redirect its mobilisation efforts towards APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
“Everyone out there appreciates the fact that our Obidient Movement is strong and virile, going by what we were able to do for the LP presidential candidate in 2023, Mr Peter Obi, despite all odds,” Oni said.
“But this time round, our efforts will be channelled in the cause of all APC candidates including President Bola Tinubu, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Hon. Remi Oseni and all others.”
Oni also said the group would begin mobilisation and voter sensitisation across Oyo State, with activities expected to cover all 33 local government areas.
“We are swinging into action immediately,” he said, adding that the gathering represented only a portion of the movement’s wider membership across the state.
The APC received the development as part of its preparations for the 2027 elections in Oyo State.
Alli described Oni’s decision as an important political development and thanked him and those who attended the gathering.
The event also brought together several APC figures, including Adeyemo and Oseni, alongside other party leaders and political stakeholders.
Alli used the occasion to speak about his connection to Ibadan and his stated priorities for governance, including greater youth participation and attention to workers and pensioners.
Adesoji Adedeji, identified as Alli’s running mate, was also acknowledged for his engagement with young people.
Oni’s movement into the APC comes as political realignments gather pace ahead of the 2027 general elections, with politicians and political groups across Nigeria reassessing alliances formed around the 2023 polls.
In Oyo, the development adds another layer to the competition among political parties as they seek to build structures and broaden their support ahead of the next general election.
For the Obidient Movement, Oni’s decision represents a notable change in political alignment.
For the APC, it provides an opportunity to bring a group of supporters associated with the 2023 Labour Party campaign into its electoral mobilisation structure.
Oni said his group would focus on voter mobilisation and sensitisation as the 2027 election approaches, while the APC leaders at the event welcomed the new members into the party.
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The political significance of the move will ultimately depend on the extent to which Oni and his supporters translate the announced mobilisation plans across Oyo’s 33 local government areas into sustained grassroots activity ahead of the election.
