Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has challenged the argument that the South-West should rally behind one presidential candidate in the 2027 election, insisting that the region has the capacity to produce multiple contenders.
Makinde, who is seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu, made the position known on Thursday at the APM South-West town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, where he defended his decision to enter the presidential race despite Tinubu’s position as a fellow South-West politician.
The governor cited the 1999 presidential election, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae emerged as presidential candidates from the region, arguing that presenting more than one candidate did not diminish the South-West’s political relevance.
“And heaven did not fall. As a matter of fact, what the South-West did was to present two of their finest, two of their best for Nigeria to choose from. Is there anything wrong with that this time around?” Makinde asked.
He said some people had questioned his decision to contest against a sitting President from the same geopolitical zone, but maintained that democracy should allow voters to choose among competing candidates based on their records, ideas and capacity to lead.
“I’ve listened to people. They said to us, ‘Seyi Makinde, why are you contesting in this election when the South-West already has somebody seated on that seat?’ And I’ve explained to them, we do have an example here in the South-West,” he said.
The governor’s remarks signal his determination to pursue his presidential ambition despite the political advantage enjoyed by the incumbent and the expectation in some quarters that the South-West should unite behind Tinubu.
MAKINDE QUESTIONS FG’S BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY
Beyond the presidential contest, Makinde criticised aspects of the Federal Government’s handling of public finances, questioning the reported presentation of the United Nations budget to the President in Nigeria by the country’s permanent representatives to the UN.
He queried the justification for spending public funds on travel from New York to Abuja for the presentation, arguing that the government should demonstrate greater accountability in the management of taxpayers’ money.
The governor also questioned the state of budget implementation, asking which year’s budget was being implemented by the Federal Government.
“Is it 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 budgets?” he asked.
Makinde urged voters to reject what he described as deceptive politics and said his campaign would focus on his record in Oyo State rather than rely solely on criticism of political opponents.
‘I WILL MAKE ENERGY AN ISSUE’
Makinde also sought to make physical stamina and the capacity to withstand the demands of presidential leadership a feature of the 2027 campaign, saying he would not focus on age but on energy.
“While I will not make age an issue of this campaign, I will make energy. Having energy. Being able to stay up late, have the rigours, have the energy to deal with the challenges that we are faced with as a country,” he said.
He challenged rival presidential candidates to demonstrate similar physical stamina during the campaign, suggesting that voters should consider their ability to cope with the demands of the office.
“So please, when they bring their own presidential candidates, let the candidates come here and also jump down. If they can do that, vote for them,” Makinde said.
The APM candidate’s comments come as political parties and aspirants begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election, with the contest expected to feature debates over leadership capacity, economic management, governance records and regional political interests.
