OYO APC CANDIDATE’S CAMPAIGN EXPLAINS VIRAL VIDEO OF STUDENT SITTING ON HIS LAP. (PHOTO).

 Oyo APC candidate’s campaign explains viral video of student sitting on his lap

The campaign organisation of All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has explained the circumstances surrounding a viral video in which a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, was seen sitting on his lap.

According to the campaign, the student and others from the institution’s Department of Banking and Finance visited Alli at his campaign office in Mokola, Ibadan, to invite him to their programme and conduct an interview.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and posted on its website, the team said the students arrived when available seats were insufficient for everyone present. Alli therefore asked one of the students to sit on his lap so the interview could proceed.

The explanation came after the video circulated online and drew mixed reactions. In the footage, Alli was also briefly seen caressing the student’s lap, a gesture some social media users interpreted in different ways.

The campaign condemned attempts by certain online platforms to sexualise the interaction, describing such interpretations as misleading and politically motivated. It said the number of people present exceeded the seating capacity, leaving insufficient chairs, and described Alli’s action as “a spontaneous and fatherly gesture” with no inappropriate intention.

“It is deeply unfortunate that political desperation has descended to this level, where an ordinary interaction between a fatherly political leader and students who came to seek support for their programme is deliberately twisted into something sordid,” the statement said.

The campaign urged the public to disregard what it called misleading narratives surrounding the footage. “Those who know Senator Sharafadeen Alli understand his disposition towards young people and his fatherly relationship with them. There is no basis whatsoever for the offensive insinuations being attached to this video,” it added.

It called on media organisations and social media users to exercise responsibility in reporting the incident, arguing that digital platforms should not be used to damage reputations through sensationalism and innuendo. The team also urged the public to reject what it described as “cheap political blackmail,” saying the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State should focus on ideas, competence, development and the welfare of residents.