2027 election: Oyo APC governorship candidate Alli appoints media aides

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has appointed seasoned journalists and communication professionals to key positions in his campaign media and publicity team ahead of the 2027 general election.

The appointments were contained in a statement issued by Dare Adekanmbi, Media Consultant to Senator Alli, and made available to journalists on Thursday in Ibadan.

The development comes as political activities continue to gather momentum in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with political parties and candidates strengthening their campaign structures and communication teams.

Oladele, Olaosebikan, Tunji get key roles

The appointments include former South-West Bureau Chief of The Nation newspaper, Bisi Oladele, who was named Director of Media and Publicity.

Kehinde Olaosebikan was appointed Director of Strategic Communication, while Bolaji Tunji was named Director of Public Affairs.

The immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Chief Ademola Babalola, will serve as Deputy Director, while the Oyo State APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, will serve as Secretary of the media and publicity team.

According to the statement, the appointments were made to strengthen the campaign’s media visibility, strategic communication, public engagement and overall information management as the APC candidate prepares for the 2027 election.

Oladele brings over 25 years’ experience

Oladele, a seasoned multimedia journalist and communication strategist, brings more than 25 years of experience in journalism and public relations to the new assignment.

He is expected to work with other experienced professionals across different communication fields, including Ayotunde Olude, to strengthen the campaign’s media, publicity and strategic communication activities.

Before his latest appointment, Oladele was the Executive Editor of Newspeak Media and Chairman of the South-West Guild of Online Publishers (SWEGOP).

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education (English) from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and a Master’s degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan.

He is also concluding a PhD programme in Political Communication at Lead City University, Ibadan.

Veteran media practitioners join campaign team

Olaosebikan, who was appointed Director of Strategic Communication, is a veteran media practitioner with extensive experience in journalism, government communication and public relations.

He previously served as Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor Lam Adesina of Oyo state, giving him experience in managing government-media relations and communicating public policies.

Tunji, who was named Director of Public Affairs, is also a seasoned journalist and communication practitioner.

He previously served as Special Adviser to the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Communication and Strategy.

The campaign said the experience of the newly appointed media aides would be deployed towards improving its communication strategy and strengthening engagement with the public and the media.

The appointments are expected to play a key role in shaping Senator Alli’s public communication ahead of the 2027 Oyo State governorship election, particularly as political campaigns and mobilisation efforts intensify.

The new team will be responsible for coordinating media activities, strategic messaging, public affairs and other communication-related engagements as the APC candidate seeks to consolidate his campaign structure across the state.