Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, Seyi Makinde, has picked former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Musa Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde announced Daura’s selection on Thursday at the APM elective National Convention held in Bauchi.
Daura, who joined the APM days ago after resigning from the African Democratic Congress, replaces Ibrahim Adamu Bala, who was earlier announced as Makinde’s running mate.
The party had described Bala’s nomination as a placeholder arrangement pending the selection of a substantive running mate.
The choice of Daura, a former head of Nigeria’s domestic intelligence service, adds a security dimension to the APM presidential ticket as the party seeks to position itself as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the convention, Makinde said the opposition’s responsibility ahead of the 2027 election went beyond simply defeating the ruling party and taking control of government.
He said the ultimate objective should be to give Nigerians a genuine alternative capable of addressing the country’s challenges and securing its future.
“As we approach 2027, therefore, I believe the task before all of us is bigger than winning an election. It is to give Nigerians a real choice about the future of their country,” Makinde said.
The governor said the forthcoming campaign would inevitably feature political slogans, promises and policy declarations but urged Nigerians to demand measurable results from those seeking their votes.
He said political parties and candidates should be prepared to explain what they would do differently and how their policies would translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
Makinde had earlier called for greater cooperation among opposition parties, arguing that a credible opposition was necessary for the sustenance of democracy.
He also advocated a political system in which disagreement would not turn opponents into enemies, insisting that opposition politics should be about presenting better alternatives to Nigerians rather than merely seeking to remove those in power.
The APM presidential ticket of Makinde and Daura will now be expected to take its campaign to voters as the party seeks to expand its presence beyond its existing political base and emerge as a major contender in the 2027 presidential election.
