The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has settled on a two-man ticket for the 2027 gubernatorial election, with Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli as its candidate and Hon.
Adesoji Michael Adedeji as his running mate. The two were formally presented on July 2, 2026, in Ibadan, where Alli also received the party’s nomination form.
Since then, one phrase has followed the ticket: “two for the price of one.” It is a simple description, but there is some thinking behind the pairing.
Who is Adesoji Adedeji?
At 46, Adesoji Adedeji is the younger half of the ticket. He studied Economics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and is from Iwo-Ate in Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State, in the Ogbomoso zone.
He is also the younger brother of Dr Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service. That family connection has brought some attention to his emergence, but the APC ticket also gives Adedeji an opportunity to build his own political profile.
Unlike Alli, who has spent years in politics and currently represents Oyo South in the Senate, Adedeji is relatively new to elective politics. His emergence therefore brings a younger face and a different background to the ticket.
There is also the question of geography.
Alli is from Ibadan, while Adedeji comes from Ogo Oluwa. In a state where the different zones often feature prominently in political calculations, that is part of what makes the pairing notable.
Why ‘2 for 1’?
The idea behind the phrase is fairly straightforward.
On one side is Alli, a politician with years of experience in public office. On the other is Adedeji, a younger candidate with an Economics background and a different professional experience. Then there is the geographical spread.
Ibadan has long been a major centre of political activity in Oyo State. Adedeji’s roots in the Ogbomoso axis allow the APC to present the ticket as one that extends beyond the state capital.
Whether that will translate into votes is another matter. For now, the choice gives the party a ticket that brings different parts of the state into the same political arrangement.
What Adedeji says he wants
Since emerging as Alli’s running mate, Adedeji has also spoken about some of the issues he wants the ticket to address. At a stakeholders’ meeting, he talked about improving infrastructure across Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, Ibarapa, Oyo and other parts of the state.
He also spoke about the need for functional hospitals in every local government and greater financial and administrative autonomy for local councils.“Every local government will receive all that is due to them,” he said.
The message is centred largely on taking development beyond the major urban areas and ensuring that local communities also benefit from government programmes.
The politics behind the pairing
Adedeji’s emergence came after Alli secured the APC Governorship ticket in a primary that featured several notable aspirants, including former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, Akeem Agbaje and former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. The primary has ended, but bringing the party together after a contest involving several interests is now part of the work ahead. That was evident at the unveiling, where party leaders repeatedly stressed the need for unity.
Oyo APC Chairman, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, called on party members to put their differences aside and work towards the 2027 election. “By the grace of God, come May 29, 2027, our governor and deputy governor will be Senator Sharafadeen Alli and Hon. Adesoji Adedeji,” he said.
Alli also called on his former opponents and their supporters to work with the party’s ticket. The task now goes beyond simply presenting the two candidates. Alli and Adedeji will have to bring their different backgrounds together and show party members and voters across the state how they intend to work as a team.
Two Men, One Ticket
So, what exactly does the APC have in Alli and Adedeji?
It has a sitting senator with years of political experience and a younger running mate from a different part of the state. It has Ibadan and Ogo Oluwa. And it has two men with different professional and political backgrounds coming together on the same ticket. That is where the “2 for 1” description comes from.
But a slogan is only one part of a political campaign. Alli and Adedeji will still have to explain what they want to do with the mandate they are seeking and how their plans would work across Oyo State. For now, the APC has made its choice.
The next stage is taking that ticket to the people.
- Seun Oloketuyi sent this in from Lagos
