The All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign organisation for Oyo State governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, don explain why a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, sit on im lap inside a viral video.
The campaign team said the student, together with other students from the Department of Banking and Finance, visit Alli for im campaign office for Mokola, Ibadan, to invite am for their programme and interview am.
According to the team, the students reach the office when the available chairs no dey enough for everybody. Dem said na why Alli ask one of the students to sit on im lap so the interview fit continue.
The explanation come after the video spread online and people begin react to the interaction between the politician and the student. For the video, Alli was also seen briefly touching the student’s lap, which some social media users interpret in different ways.
The campaign team, however, reject attempts by some online platforms to sexualise the interaction, describing such interpretation as misleading and politically motivated.
According to the campaign team, “the number of people present exceeded the available seating capacity, leaving insufficient chairs for everyone.”
The team described Alli’s decision as “a spontaneous and fatherly gesture” and maintained say there was no inappropriate 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 campaign team said.
The team urged members of the public to disregard what e described as misleading narratives about the video.
“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 campaign organisation also called on media organisations and social media users to report the incident responsibly, warning against using digital platforms to damage people’s reputation through sensationalism and innuendo.
The team urged the public to reject what e described as “cheap political blackmail”, saying the 2027 Oyo governorship election should focus on ideas, competence, development and the welfare of residents.
