From Ahmad Muhammad,Bauchi
The Oyo State Governor and Presidential candidate of opposition Allied People’s Movement (APM) in the 2027 general elections, Engr Seyi Makinde has said that the outcome of the 2027 election must reflect the voice of Nigerians.
Makinde said this today, Friday, in Bauchi when he interacted with newsmen at the end of a closed-door meeting he held with the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, along with the National Chairman of the APM, and other party leaders and stakeholders at the Ramat House, Bauchi.
He said what gives the APM confidence to go into the 2027 general elections, “You know, it is the people. Democracy is how to deal with the people of Nigeria. We believe the people of Nigeria, they will speak very loud and clearly when the time comes.”
Makinde said that the current political situation in Nigeria is toxic, the darkest moment ever in the history of the country.
Makinde, who is the Governor of Oyo State, said “Being in opposition, the political environment, yes, it is very toxic. It is in the darkest moments, I can say that to you. But having said that, when the day is about to break, that is the darkest point. So I can give assurance to Nigerians that irrespective of the challenges we are faced with, the day is about to break for a new dawn in the country. And tomorrow, the sun will start rising again for Nigeria. Okay.”
On the strength of the APM to win the 2027 general elections, he said, “In Oyo state in 2019, as an opposition party then in the PDP, APC was ruling at the Federal level. APC was ruling at the state level in Oyo state, but we won.”
“Same thing is going to happen this time around. They must not suppress the will of the people. They must not suppress whatever decision that they’re going to take. And that we will ensure it happens. We will not allow any electoral malpractice, the outcome must reflect the voice of Nigerians.”
On the issue on insecurity in Oyo State, the Governor said that those who blamed the then President Goodluck Jonathan over the abduction of Chibok school children in Borno State in 2014 are blaming him for the abduction of Orire pupils and teachers, saying that they know that a state governor has no control of the security apparatus.
Makinde said that for over the last seven years and two months, the state had never recorded any abduction until May 15, 2026.
He said that he would have handled the security more differently but “we’re still feeling through all of this. Yes, we may have to do more. And we’re trying to do more. And my newsletter today, you know, basically dwelled on those challenges. We’re cooperating with the federal government.”
“This is my very first job in the public space. And I have been on this job for several years and maybe two months. The insecurity happened two months ago, May 15. So for several years, we didn’t witness anything like this in Oyo state.
“I declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria at 4 o’clock. And by 9 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted. We are still feeling through all of this. Yes, we may have to do more. And we’re trying to do more. We’re cooperating with the federal government.
“Myself and my brother (Governor Bala Mohammed) were the chief security officers in our state but I cannot give an instruction to the Commissioner of Police in the state. He will need to get approval from the Inspector General of Police. He cannot give an instruction to the state director of security. He will need to get clearance from the DG of DSS. The same with the military. The same with all of the people that are supposed to handle insecurity for us.
The Governor said that those who see declaration of curfew as a solution should consider economic activities attached to curfew.
Makinde said: “It is so unbelievable. When Chibok happened, it was the fault of President Jonathan. They went all over the world, asked Jonathan to bring back the children. But (when) this happened, no, they said it is the irresponsibility of the state governor and the state government.”
“So we need to look at our architecture and be sure that where you give responsibility, you also give authority to deal with those responsibilities. And that is exactly what we will do if the people of Nigeria will trust APM with the presidency of Nigeria. We will ensure that responsibilities and authorities go together,” he said.
Speaking on the permutations to select a running mate, Makinde said that he would continue to consult and it is one of the reasons he visited Bala Mohammed.
He Said ‘Well, let us wait until you have the names uploaded onto the INEC portal. Yes, it will be open. It’s also part of the consultations. And let me say this. Before I became Governor in 2019, my driver was the deputy governorship candidate, because we knew that he was going to be a placeholder. When we were able to ring out an alignment with other opposition parties in Oyo state, we gave the deputy governorship slot to ADC then. So you should expect something similar at this time. We have enough time and consultation just like this will continue.”
On the purpose of the visit, Makinde said that, “I came here this afternoon to consult with my brother on wide-ranging issues. You recall that just the two of us are the two Governors on the platform of APM in the entire country. And if you look at the configuration of the country right now in terms of the Governors , the APC, they have 31 Governors, we’re the next, the two of us. And then you have one Governor from the Labour Party, one from APGA, and one from Accord. So that’s the 36 State Governors in Nigeria.”
He said that,”And for me, consulting with my brother is a no-brainer because if I have challenges, before I run to anybody, I’ll run to somebody that I know is of the same stock as myself. So that’s why I came here this afternoon.”
According to him, “He has experienced security challenges here, and it has been addressed. So I wanted to run a few things by him, and it’s no regret that I came here because I was fully briefed, and I’m taking back with me ideas that we may want to also try out in our state.”
Makinde said that, “And of course, we discussed issues surrounding our party and the future of democracy in Nigeria. So, on behalf of the government and the people of your state, I’d like to again say thank you for the hospitality, for hosting us, for opening your arms to accommodate us.”
While speaking, Governor Bala Mohammed commended him for taking his time to visit the State,
He said that he has confidence in the candidature of Makinde, having “transformed” the state and rebuilt the Federal Government’s Airport abandoned for years. He expressed readiness to support his ambition while calling on Nigerians to believe in the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Governor Bala said that, “Our relationship, dating back to our time in the PDP, has always been one of a well-entrenched peer review mechanism, where governance is a continuous process of collaboration and interaction with our colleagues at both the subnational and national levels.”
He said ,”We come together to examine challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. Governor Seyi Makinde, as a seasoned Engineer who has accomplished so much in Oyo State, is someone from whom I have learned a great deal.”
Governor Bala said that, “You can see that he is even executing projects that ordinarily fall under the responsibility of the Federal Government. He rebuilt the entire airport, which is owned by the Federal Government. It is not flattering to say that when you visit Oyo today, you will hardly recognise it as the same city once described in the poetry of Soyinka and other great writers as an ancient city. It has now been transformed into a modern city with wide roads, a revitalised airport, and numerous other developments.”
The Bauchi State Governor added, “We also had extensive discussions on security, which remains a major challenge for us as chief security officers of our respective states. We shared experiences and explored ways of addressing these challenges collectively.”
“Most importantly, we discussed the future of our party, the APM, which is steadily growing into the next major opposition party in the country. The party is repositioning itself to play the role of a constructive opposition. Governor Makinde, as our presidential candidate, is working tirelessly to ensure that our campaigns are issue-based, free from malice, and driven by maturity, sound ideas, and capable individuals who can deliver effective leadership,” he added.
He also said, “I want to thank you for always giving us this recognition. You have made us feel important, even though we may not necessarily deserve such honour.
Speaking further, he said,”Our National Chairman deserves enormous credit. He is a vibrant and energetic young leader, and as the National Chairman of the APM, he has continued to strengthen the party. As we often say, the APM is richly endowed with the knowledge and human capital required to deliver good governance if given the opportunity. The leadership trajectory is already evident.”
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the APM, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, said, “Considering the fact that we have only two Governors, we are really ready for the battle.”
He declared, “In the history of this country, Nigerians have never desired change like this before—never, ever. It is very shameful in the history of Nigeria that Nigerians will be chased out of the countries they are legally living in, by countries like South Africa, whose independence we fought for, while the government of this country stands aloof. It is embarrassing. It is shameful.”
According to him,”In the House, some persons are allowed to say something, while some are not allowed to speak. We saw what happened about two or three days ago this week in the House of Representatives. Nobody will save Nigeria unless we choose to save it ourselves.”
The National Chairman then declared,”APM is not coming to do the usual. What APM is coming with is to reset Nigeria, to reboot Nigeria, and to start solving the problems of Nigeria from the grassroots. Let every Nigerian take his destiny in their hands. This we will do legitimately. We call on all Nigerians to come forward. It is not about us; it is about Nigeria for Nigerians.”
