Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has been linked to a strongly worded political statement criticising Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and expressing support for Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The statement, which describes the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in disparaging terms, reflects the increasingly confrontational political atmosphere in Oyo State as rival parties and their supporters position themselves for the next electoral contest.
In the circulating statement attributed to Igboho, the activist reportedly declared that only a madman would continue moving around with cassava, in an apparent reference to the APM, before identifying Alli as the next governor of Oyo State. However, independent confirmation of the exact quotation, its date and the circumstances in which Igboho allegedly made it has not been established. The remarks should therefore be treated as an attributed claim rather than a verified direct statement by the activist.
The political context surrounding the claim is clearer. Alli is the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the 2027 Oyo State election, while Governor Makinde, who is completing his second term, is supporting former Commissioner for Finance Bimbo Adekanmbi, the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement.
Makinde is also pursuing a presidential ambition under the APM, placing the party at the centre of both state and national political discussions. His involvement in the party's electoral activities has generated sustained exchanges between his supporters and the APC opposition in Oyo State.
The statement attributed to Igboho appears to favour Alli's candidacy while criticising Makinde's political platform. Its wording is confrontational, but the reported endorsement does not establish that Alli will win the election or that the activist's position represents the views of voters across the state.
Alli, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, formally declared his intention to contest the governorship election in April 2026. His declaration emphasised governance, infrastructure, public services and economic development as central issues in his campaign.
The APC subsequently unveiled him as its governorship candidate in July, alongside his running mate, Adesoji Adedeji. Party leaders used the occasion to call for reconciliation among members and greater cooperation ahead of the election.
Alli described his emergence as a collective achievement for the party, while APC officials emphasised the importance of resolving internal disagreements that could affect the organisation's electoral activities.
The contest has already produced several public disagreements between Makinde and Alli's campaign organisation.
In September, the governor urged Alli to direct his attention towards the APM governorship candidate rather than concentrating his criticism on the outgoing administration. Makinde made the remarks during a political gathering at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The event also featured the reception of political organiser Ajiboye Akande Sangogade, popularly known as Boye Nation, and his supporters into the APM.
Makinde's comments reflected his position that the governorship contest should primarily involve the candidates seeking to succeed him, rather than becoming a personal confrontation between the outgoing governor and the APC candidate.
The APC campaign organisation responded to other statements by Makinde with criticism of his administration's performance.
In late September, Alli's campaign organisation questioned the governor's handling of increased federal allocations to Oyo State after Makinde acknowledged that higher government revenues had not necessarily reduced hunger among residents.
The organisation argued that the governor should account for how additional funds were being used to address economic hardship.
Makinde's comments had been made during an APM political engagement in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where he discussed the relationship between government revenue and the living conditions of Nigerians.
The exchange demonstrated how economic management and public accountability were becoming prominent issues in the political debate.
Another disagreement emerged over the administration of Oyo State's 33 local government areas.
Alli's campaign organisation accused Makinde of undermining local government administration, while the state government rejected the allegation and challenged the opposition to provide evidence.
The disagreement concerned competing assessments of the governor's record and the operation of local government institutions, rather than an independently established finding of wrongdoing.
The rivalry has also extended to campaign materials and political mobilisation.
In September, the APM campaign council rejected allegations attributed to Alli's organisation concerning a purported plan by political opponents to vandalise APC billboards and posters.
The APM described the allegation as false and maintained that its activities were based on peaceful political mobilisation.
The allegations and denials illustrate the need to distinguish political accusations from established facts, particularly where claims concern threats, intimidation or electoral misconduct.
Against this background, the reported intervention by Igboho introduces another prominent public figure into discussions surrounding the governorship contest.
Igboho became nationally known through his involvement in Yoruba self-determination advocacy and campaigns concerning insecurity in parts of southwestern Nigeria. His public statements have frequently attracted attention because of his political activism and his influence among some supporters.
Nevertheless, a statement attributed to him should not automatically be treated as an official endorsement without reliable confirmation of its authenticity.
The precise wording is particularly important in this case because the reported reference to cassava appears intended to ridicule Makinde's political party.
Although political criticism is a recognised feature of democratic competition, accurate reporting requires that inflammatory language be clearly attributed to the individual who allegedly used it.
The available information does not establish whether Igboho made the statement during a public gathering, in a recorded interview or through a social media publication.
There is also no verified response from Governor Makinde specifically addressing the reported remark.
The absence of those details makes it inappropriate to present the quotation as an independently authenticated exchange between the activist and the governor.
Oyo State's approaching governorship election remains significant because Makinde is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term. The contest will determine who succeeds him when his second term ends in 2027.
The APC is seeking to regain control of the state, while the APM is supporting Adekanmbi as Makinde's preferred successor.
Both campaigns have increasingly focused on the outgoing administration's performance, political alliances and competing proposals for the state's future.
The statement attributed to Igboho adds to the public discussion but does not change the formal status of the candidates or establish the likely election outcome.
For now, the verified political developments are that Alli is contesting under the APC, Adekanmbi is the APM candidate supported by Makinde, and both camps have engaged in public exchanges ahead of the election.
Whether Igboho has formally endorsed Alli through the reported statement remains a matter requiring direct confirmation.
As the 2027 elections approach, attention will continue to centre on the candidates' programmes, their records and the choices available to Oyo State voters.
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