The campaign organization of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Oyo State, has cleared the air regarding a viral video showing a male student from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, sitting on his lap.
The footage, which circulated widely across various social media platforms, sparked mixed reactions from netizens. In the brief clip, the governorship candidate is seen with the student on his lap while briefly patting the individual’s leg.
The Context Behind the Viral Video
In an official statement addressing the controversy, the campaign team explained that a delegation of students from the institution’s Department of Banking and Finance had visited Senator Alli at his Mokola campaign office in Ibadan. The students sought to interview the candidate and formally invite him to an upcoming departmental program.
However, the campaign office was reportedly crowded when the delegation arrived, leaving several visitors without seats. To ensure the interview could proceed promptly without keeping the students waiting, Senator Alli offered for one of the students to sit on his lap.
A ‘Fatherly Gesture’ Amid Political Tensions
The campaign organization strongly defended the politician’s actions, describing them as a ‘spontaneous and fatherly gesture.’ They maintained that the interaction was entirely innocent, with absolutely no inappropriate intentions or undertones.
The statement read: ‘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 team emphasized Senator Alli’s long-standing reputation for supporting and mentoring youth, asserting that there was no basis for the offensive interpretations circulating online.
Call to Disregard ‘Cheap Blackmail’
Describing the online outrage as ‘cheap political blackmail’ aimed at distracting the electorate, the campaign urged the public to disregard the sensationalized narratives. They reaffirmed Senator Alli’s commitment to engaging positively with the youth and focusing on his developmental agenda for Oyo State.