Circular Road: Makinde’s Aide Challenges APC, Alli Over Conflicting Positions

By Victoria Isaac 

The Ibadan Circular Road project has become a fresh point of political disagreement within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, with the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, accusing the party and its 2027 governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, of taking conflicting positions on the project.

Olanrewaju made the assertion in a statement titled “How Seyi Makinde-built Circular Road sparked civil war in APC,” dated October 3, 2026, in which he questioned the position of Alli and the APC Federal Government on the road project.

He argued that while the Federal Government had sought to associate itself with the Circular Road project, Alli had continued to criticise the same project at the state level.

According to him, the development had created an apparent contradiction within the APC over the political ownership and assessment of the project.

The Ibadan Circular Road has a long history spanning successive administrations in Oyo State. The project was conceived during the administration of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, while the administration of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi awarded a 32-kilometre portion to ENL Consortium in 2017. The contract was later terminated by the Makinde administration following concerns over the pace of construction.

In July 2021, the Oyo State Government approved a new concession arrangement with SEL-Vydra Consortium for the construction of the 110-kilometre Circular Road at a reported cost of N138.2 billion under a Build, Operate and Transfer model.

Olanrewaju said the project’s development had nevertheless become a subject of political disagreement, particularly over the positions being taken by different actors within and outside the APC.

He specifically criticised Alli’s reported position on the project, arguing that the APC governorship candidate had portrayed the road negatively despite what he described as its impact on movement and development within Ibadan.

The Special Adviser further questioned what he described as the Federal Government’s attempt to associate itself with the project, arguing that the Federal Government did not conceive, fund or execute the road under the current arrangement.

Olanrewaju said the development had exposed what he described as a disagreement within the APC over whether the Circular Road should be presented as an achievement or criticised as a failure.

He maintained that the project had become an important part of the ongoing political contest in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The media aide also argued that the disagreement went beyond the Circular Road, describing it as evidence of wider differences in the way the APC approaches issues at the state and national levels.

He said the party’s conflicting positions on the project raised questions about consistency and credibility in its political messaging.

Olanrewaju further contrasted the positions of the APC and Alli with what he described as the Makinde administration’s record of infrastructure development, arguing that the Circular Road should be assessed based on its effect on transportation and development rather than political considerations.

His comments come amid increasing political activity in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections, with Alli already campaigning as the APC governorship candidate and other political parties and candidates also positioning themselves for the contest. Recent reports have shown Alli and the Makinde camp exchanging political arguments over the 2027 race.