The campaign organisation of the Oyo State APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has dismissed criticism over a viral video showing a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, sitting on his lap during a meeting.
The student, reportedly a member of the Banking and Finance Students’ Association, was part of a delegation that visited Alli to seek support for a programme and conduct an interview.
The video sparked criticism on social media, with some Nigerians questioning the appropriateness of the interaction.
However, Alli’s campaign organisation said the incident had been taken out of context, explaining that limited seating at the venue prompted Alli to ask the student to sit on his lap.
The campaign described the gesture as spontaneous and fatherly, while condemning what it called politically motivated attempts to sexualise or distort the incident.
It urged the public and media to consider the full context of the video and focus the 2027 election discourse on ideas, competence, development and the welfare of Oyo residents.
SEE VIDEO