The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has continued to face criticism following the circulation of a viral video showing a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, seated on his lap during an interaction at his campaign office in Mokola, Ibadan.
The video, which has attracted significant attention across social media and mainstream media platforms, has generated mixed reactions, with much of the public criticism focusing on the appropriateness of the scene involving a serving senator and a candidate seeking to become governor of Oyo State.
The incident reportedly occurred when students of the Department of Banking and Finance of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, visited Alli at his campaign office to invite him to one of their programmes and conduct an interview with him.
According to a statement from Alli’s campaign organisation, the students arrived when there were insufficient seats for everyone. The campaign team said Alli subsequently asked one of the students to sit on his lap so that the interview could continue.
The campaign organisation has rejected attempts to portray the incident in a sexualised manner, describing the circulating interpretations as misleading and an attempt to manufacture a scandal.
However, the explanation has done little to stop the controversy, as the video continues to attract reactions from Nigerians online and commentators across various media platforms.
The controversy was also discussed on Arise News’ trending programme, where presenters and analysts examined the video and questioned the appropriateness of the interaction. The discussion reportedly generated further attention to the clip, with the programme’s Ojy Okpe stating that the video had recorded more than three million views within 24 hours.
On social media platforms, particularly X and Instagram, reactions have largely been critical. Some users described the incident as “disgusting,” “unprofessional” and inappropriate for a politician seeking to govern a state, while others questioned whether such conduct was suitable during a formal engagement with students.
Civil rights activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), also joined the conversation, questioning how the student came to be seated on Alli’s lap and describing the scene as resembling a romantic interaction.
The video was subsequently amplified by several online platforms and television stations, further widening the controversy around the APC candidate.
TVC’s publication of the video also attracted a large number of comments, with several users expressing the view that Alli, as a serving senator and governorship candidate, should have exercised greater caution in his interaction with the students.
Some commentators, however, have defended the APC candidate, insisting that the short clip should not be interpreted outside the circumstances surrounding the students’ visit. The Guardian, in its coverage, described the incident as putting Alli under “online scrutiny” and reported that the student was seen sitting on his lap, prompting questions from social-media users.
The controversy comes at a politically sensitive period for Alli and the APC as the party prepares for the 2027 governorship election. Alli, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District, was unveiled by the Oyo APC as its governorship candidate in July.
The development has therefore moved beyond a social-media controversy, with political observers watching to see whether the incident will have any impact on Alli’s public image and the APC’s campaign as the election season gathers momentum.
