The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has dismissed Governor Seyi Makinde’s chances of mounting a serious challenge against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The party described Makinde’s reported presidential ambition as a political spectacle aimed at entertaining and distracting Nigerians, while accusing the governor of using public resources to pursue his political aspirations.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Sunday, the Oyo APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, warned that those allegedly responsible for misusing state funds would be required to refund the money at the appropriate time.
The party’s comments followed remarks by Makinde on Saturday that he would be available to receive chieftaincy titles after leaving office in May 2027, noting that he would then be free and have little serious work to occupy him.
Makinde made the remarks shortly after being installed as the Aare Asoludero of Ibarapaland by the Eleruwa of Eruwa during the monarch’s first coronation anniversary in Eruwa, the headquarters of Ibarapa East Local Government Area.
The governor was also reported to have urged traditional rulers and institutions to remain neutral and avoid partisan politics ahead of the 2027 election.
However, the APC warned Makinde against allegedly threatening residents, including traditional rulers and religious leaders, “simply because they receive APC candidates and supporters in the palaces and places of worship.
“It is important for us to reiterate that Governor Makinde does not possess the wherewithal to slug it out with President Bola Tinubu in 2027, but he (Makinde) is only out to make some noise and distract the global community.
“Unfortunately, he cannot achieve his aim of emerging as the Political Comedian of the Year without wasting the resources of the Pacesetters State, and this would not augur well for the good people of the state.
“Makinde knows, in his mind, that contesting for the Nigerian presidency is not a child’s play, while he does not possess the personal quality, experience and strategy to be the next president in 2027; yet, he is parading himself as the presidential candidate of the structureless Allied People’s Movement.
“Makinde can afford to display campaign posters and billboards in parts of Oyo and Bauchi states for obvious reasons, but the best he can get, even if he gets himself on the ballot, is to come in a distant 8th position.
“Most Nigerians, including leaders of thought and eminent personalities, know that President Tinubu is the best for the country, even as the focus on his likely successor would shift to the North after his reelection in 2027.
“This implies that the person of Seyi Makinde cannot be trusted to rule the world’s most populous black nation at a time like this.
“However, Makinde is being monitored as he embarks on a political journey that has failed before its commencement, and he will be made to cough out all the public funds wasted on it,” Sadare said.