A video showing a male student sitting on the lap of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, has triggered outrage and divided opinions across social media.
In the footage, the young man, dressed in a blue suit, is seen sitting on the senator’s lap while an interview is underway. Alli also appears to move his hand repeatedly over the student’s thigh, a gesture that has fuelled criticism and speculation among online commentators.
The student was reportedly part of a delegation of executives from the Department of Banking and Finance at The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
The group had visited the senator to seek his support for an upcoming programme and to conduct a brief interview. However, attention quickly shifted away from the purpose of the visit after the footage surfaced online.
While some social media users described the scene as inappropriate and questioned the senator’s conduct, others cautioned against drawing conclusions from a short video without understanding what happened before it was recorded.
Alli’s campaign organisation has since rejected suggestions that the encounter had any sexual or inappropriate undertone.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the campaign explained that the student delegation arrived with more people than the available chairs could accommodate.
According to the organisation, the student was left standing during the meeting before Alli spontaneously offered him a place on his lap so that the interview could continue.
The campaign described the action as a “fatherly gesture” and accused social media users of deliberately presenting an innocent moment in a misleading and politically damaging manner.
It also denied claims that the senator was caressing the student, maintaining that eyewitnesses present at the meeting observed nothing suggestive or improper.
Despite the explanation, the video has continued to generate debate, with critics arguing that the interaction was unusual for a formal meeting involving a public official and a student delegation.
Others have defended Alli, saying the footage should not be interpreted outside the circumstances presented by his campaign.
The controversy comes as political activities gather momentum in Oyo State, placing the conduct and public image of leading governorship contenders under increasing scrutiny.
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