Alli’s Camp Defends Viral ‘Lap’ Video With Poly Student

The campaign team of Senator Sharafadeen Alli has come out to explain the now-trending video that has set Nigerian social media on fire

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By now, if you have been anywhere near Nigerian Twitter (X), WhatsApp groups, or Facebook timelines, you have almost certainly seen the video. A male student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, was captured on camera sitting on the lap of Senator Sharafadeen Alli — the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Oyo State — and Nigerians, as expected, did not let it slide without heavy commentary.

The video went viral faster than pepper soup at a naming ceremony, sparking reactions ranging from genuine concern to outright jokes. But now, Senator Alli’s campaign organisation has stepped forward to give their own side of the story.

So, What Did They Say?

According to the APC campaign team, there is absolutely nothing scandalous about the footage. Their explanation? It was simply a fatherly gesture.

The campaign organisation maintained that the moment captured in the video was a warm, paternal interaction between the governorship candidate and the student — the kind of thing that happens naturally when a leader connects with young people on the ground. They described it as an innocent display of affection, the sort a father figure would extend to someone he sees as a son.

Nigerians React — As Only Nigerians Can

Of course, this is Nigeria, and no explanation, no matter how reasonable, goes down without scrutiny and a healthy dose of humour. Social media users have been divided:

– Some accepted the explanation, pointing out that such physical expressions of warmth are not entirely uncommon in African cultures, especially in a campaign setting where politicians try to connect with their base.
– Others raised eyebrows, questioning whether the optics were appropriate for someone gunning for the highest office in Oyo State.
– A good number simply kept the memes going, because this is the internet and that is what we do.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond the jokes and the debate, this incident does raise a legitimate conversation about political image management in Nigeria. In a social media age where anything can go viral in minutes — from Aso Rock to Agodi — politicians and their teams must be increasingly deliberate about the visuals they project.

Oyo State is one of Nigeria’s most politically competitive states, and with the governorship race heating up, every moment — planned or candid — becomes campaign material, for better or for worse.

Senator Alli’s team has clearly decided that the best response is transparency, addressing the video head-on rather than ignoring it and allowing the narrative to spiral further out of control. Whether Oyo voters accept that explanation is, of course, another matter entirely.

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What do you think? Was it truly just a fatherly gesture, or should politicians be more careful about the images they project? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below.

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