Makinde promises four-year transitional government if elected president
By Adejayan Gbenga
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has promised to establish an all-inclusive transitional government of national unity that would serve for no more than four years if elected president in the 2027 general elections.
Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), made the pledge on Saturday at the party’s North-East Zonal Town Hall Meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, during consultations ahead of the elections. He said his proposed administration would begin on May 29, 2027, with national unity, inclusiveness, honesty and practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges as its priorities.
“I stand before you today to tell you that the government you will put in place from May 29, 2027, will be a transitional government of national unity. Our government will not last beyond four years. And it will be an all-inclusive government,” he said.
The governor also challenged the Federal Government to publish its petroleum pricing template to enable Nigerians to understand how petrol prices are determined amid rising living costs. He criticised the government’s policies on compressed natural gas, electric vehicles and the naira-for-crude initiative, arguing that they had not delivered the expected relief to citizens.
Makinde said Nigerians needed practical solutions rather than complicated explanations of government policies, adding that making the pricing template public would allow citizens to scrutinise the calculations and propose alternatives. He maintained that holding public office or occupying the Presidential Villa did not make government officials the only people capable of finding solutions to the country’s problems.
The APM candidate identified insecurity, poverty and inadequate electricity supply as major challenges requiring urgent attention, citing concerns raised during his consultations across the North-West, North-Central and North-East. He also accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to fulfil some campaign promises, particularly in the power sector, and called for a national reset anchored on honesty and accountability.
Makinde explained that the party had delayed releasing its manifesto to allow its leaders to consult Nigerians across the country and incorporate their concerns into its proposed policies. He promised that an APM-led government would listen to citizens, respect their rights and avoid politicising issues affecting their welfare.
The APM National Leader and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, described the party as a viable opposition platform capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027. The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, a former Director-General of the Department of State Services, said the APM would unveil its detailed policy proposals during the national campaign, when its leaders would visit states to present their programmes to voters. He called for fundamental reforms to address Nigeria’s challenges, declaring that the party was ready to “Reset Nigeria”.
