Why Oyo student sat on APC gov candidate’s lap — Campaign team

The campaign team of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, has clarified the reason behind a viral video showing a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, sitting on his lap during an interview. A statement released by the campaign team explained that the students had visited Alli's office in Mokola, Ibadan, to invite him to their programme and conduct an interview.

Due to insufficient seating, Alli asked one of the students to sit on his lap so the interview could continue. The explanation came after the video was circulated online, sparking reactions and various interpretations of the interaction between Alli and the student. Some social media users misinterpreted the gesture as inappropriate, prompting the campaign team to condemn these attempts to sexualise the incident and label them as misleading and politically motivated.

The campaign team described Alli's action as a spontaneous, fatherly gesture, emphasizing that there was no inappropriate intention behind his behavior. They urged the public to disregard what they deemed as misleading narratives surrounding the video and called for responsible reporting by media organizations and social media users.

The campaign team also appealed to the public to reject what they called "cheap political blackmail" and urged the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State to focus on ideas, competence, development, and the welfare of residents.