Makinde defends presidential ambition, says South-West can produce two candidates

By Adejayan Gbenga

Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate Seyi Makinde has defended his decision to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the South-West can produce candidates from different political parties.

Makinde spoke on Thursday at the Makinde-Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall Meeting for the South-West, held at the Olusegun Mimiko International Event Centre in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

He argued that his decision to contest against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, should not be considered inappropriate because both politicians are from the same geopolitical zone. According to him, voters should prioritise competence, capacity and the ability to deliver good governance over regional considerations.

“People have asked us why we are contesting this election when the South-West already has somebody occupying that seat,” Makinde said, adding that his ambition was driven by the need to offer Nigerians an alternative capable of addressing the country’s economic, security and developmental challenges.

To support his position, the governor cited the 1999 presidential election, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae, both from the South-West, contested against each other. He said the contest did not trigger a crisis but gave Nigerians the opportunity to choose between two prominent candidates from the same region.

Makinde also said his campaign would focus on energy, physical stamina and the capacity to address national challenges rather than age. He pledged to restructure Nigeria’s security architecture to enable economic activities to continue beyond 8 p.m., arguing that improved security would allow businesses to operate longer and boost productivity.

Under his proposed Reset Agenda, the governor advocated a tax system that places a greater burden on prosperity rather than poverty. “When people are productive, they become prosperous. When they are prosperous, tax prosperity. Don’t tax poverty. The Reset Agenda is for us to tax prosperity, not poverty,” he said.

Also speaking, APM National Chairman Yusuf Dantale said the party’s message centred on resetting Nigeria and criticised the National Assembly for what he described as its failure to adequately represent the people’s interests. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, in his remarks, expressed support for Makinde, describing the party’s candidates as young and energetic leaders capable of delivering democratic dividends and citing Makinde’s record in Oyo State as evidence of his leadership capacity. Eddy Olafeso, the South-West zonal coordinator of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Council, also commended state directors for their commitment, saying the campaign aimed to renew the government’s responsibility to serve the people.