By Michael Agbaji
A former Senator representing Oyo State and the APC governorship candidate, Sarafadeen Alli, has been honoured by his colleagues in the Senate during a surprise reception organized in his honour, where he expressed gratitude and also outlined his development priorities for Oyo State.
Speaking at the event, Alli said he was unaware of any plans for the gathering until he began seeing colleagues and friends arrive, making him realize the occasion was specially organized for him.
“I must thank you all for the kind words you have spoken about me, the National Assembly, and my colleagues. We have worked together for about three years now, and I give all the glory to Almighty God. Whatever I have become today is by His grace,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve in the National Assembly, noting that his initial ambition was to contest the governorship before he was advised otherwise.
“I wanted to obtain the governorship form, but a message came from my leader advising me not to do so and instead contest for the Senate. At first, I was not comfortable with the idea, but I eventually accepted the advice. Today, I thank God that we are here,” he added.
Alli commended his Senate colleagues, leadership of the National Assembly, and administrative staff for their support throughout his political journey. He also paid tribute to a close associate he described as a “twin brother,” acknowledging his consistent encouragement and support.
The Oyo APC governorship candidate used the opportunity to highlight key development challenges facing the state, particularly in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and transportation.
He lamented what he described as the decline in public services, saying education had suffered neglect, healthcare facilities were in poor condition, and infrastructure required urgent attention.
According to him, future plans for the state would place strong emphasis on revamping key sectors, including expanding transportation beyond road construction to include rail and other modern mobility systems aimed at boosting economic development.
“Education has been neglected in our state. Health facilities are gone. Infrastructure needs attention. Agriculture has not been given its rightful place. In transportation, we are not talking only about roads but also rail and other initiatives,” he said.
Alli expressed optimism that with divine guidance and the support of stakeholders, Oyo State would witness significant progress across all sectors if the right policies are implemented.
