Makinde declares presidential ambition, announces alliance with APM

Politics

IBADAN, Nigeria (NPA) — Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday in Ibadan declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), following a new political alliance between his political bloc and the party.

Makinde, who currently serves as governor of Oyo State, made the declaration at a Unity Rally held in Ibadan to formalise the partnership between his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM.

The governor, according to organisers, was joined by supporters and political allies at Mapo Hall where the declaration was made public.

Makinde used the occasion to call for broader opposition unity, warning against what he described as an emerging attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party political system under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He argued that the current political environment no longer guarantees equal participation for opposition parties, alleging increasing interference in the democratic process.

According to him, Nigerians must move beyond passive political engagement and take active ownership of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We must rise above being political spectators and bystanders. With collective participation of the electorate, Nigeria can achieve a historic reset in 2027,” he said.

The governor also confirmed that his preferred candidate for the Oyo State governorship race in 2027, Mr Abimbola Adekanmbi, would contest under the APM platform as part of the new arrangement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prior to the public declaration, leaders of Makinde’s PDP bloc met with the national leadership of the APM, led by its chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, at the PDP South-West secretariat in Ibadan.

At the meeting, both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the political alliance.

Makinde, who was elected governor of Oyo State on the platform of the PDP in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, said the alliance marks a new political direction aimed at strengthening opposition cohesion ahead of the next general elections.

The agreement effectively means that candidates aligned with Makinde’s political structure for the 2027 elections will contest under the APM platform.