Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has disclosed that unnecessary interference by governors is the main factor weakening the local government system in the country.

Alli made the declaration on Tuesday while delivering a keynote address at a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Local Government Reforms in Nigeria.

DAILY POST reports that the conference was held at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in Osun State.

Alli, who once served as a local government chairman in Oyo State, explained that persistent political interference by governors is responsible for the slow development of local governments.

He also identified weak financial independence, poor governance structures, inadequate administrative capacity, and limited citizen participation as other problems facing the local government system in the country.

Speaking further, Alli advised state governors to stop unnecessary interference in matters relating to local government councils in their states.

The APC candidate also pledged full financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils if elected governor in 2027.

He said that empowering local governments would deepen democracy in the country.

He added that it would accelerate rural development, improve service delivery, and strengthen public confidence in governance.

Alli said, “Persistent political interference, weak financial independence, poor governance structures, inadequate administrative capacity and limited citizen participation have hindered their effectiveness.

“Empowering local governments will deepen democracy, accelerate rural development, improve service delivery and strengthen public confidence in governance.”

The 2027 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Ebonyi, Chief Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii, has dismissed allegations by the member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency, Mr Chinedu Ogah, that he has been sponsoring cyberbullying campaigns against Ebonyi government.

Odii, also known as “AnyiChuks” in a statement to journalists in Abakaliki on Tuesday, described the allegation as baseless and an attempt to criminalise legitimate criticism and divert attention from issues of governance in the state.

He maintained that demanding accountability from elected public officials was a constitutional right of citizens and should not be misconstrued as cyberbullying or cyberstalking.

“Since when did asking questions become cyberbullying? Since when did demanding a scorecard become cyberstalking?” Odii asked.

He noted that Ebonyi people deserved to know how public resources allocated to the state had been utilised, insisting that citizens had the right to demand transparency and good governance.

According to him, criticism of government policies and performance is an essential feature of democracy and should not be interpreted as an attack on any individual.

The PDP governorship candidate also denied allegations that he was influencing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register underage voters, describing the accusation as reckless, defamatory and without evidence.

He urged the lawmaker to forward any evidence in his possession to the appropriate security agencies instead of making what he described as unsubstantiated allegations in the media.

The PDP candidate pledged to continue criticising the government in areas requiring improvement and commend it where it performs well.

Odii added that he would continue to advocate transparency, accountability and inclusive development, stressing that responsible opposition was vital to democratic governance.

Odii said he would not be intimidated into silence, adding that the people of the state would ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 governorship election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogah, at a press conference recently accused Odii of sponsoring cyberbullying and propaganda against the Ebonyi government led by Governor Nwifuru