The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), Mr Seyi Makinde, has responded to those questioning the viability of his 2027 presidential ambition, saying such critics could not ignore the millions of Nigerians whose votes would shape the nation’s political direction.
Makinde spoke yesterday in Abuja during the commissioning of the APM presidential campaign headquarters, where he unveiled the ‘Reset Nigeria’ campaign, which focuses on transparency, accountability and ensuring that the country’s resources improve the lives of its citizens.
He also explained his position on petrol pricing, stressing that he was not calling for a return to the previous fuel subsidy system. Rather, he said Nigerians should derive greater benefits from the crude oil produced domestically.
According to him, such benefits should be reflected in the price of crude supplied to local refineries instead of being introduced through interventions after additional costs and inefficiencies have built up along the petroleum value chain.
“So why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil?” Makinde queried.
He advocated greater transparency throughout the petroleum sector, covering crude production, domestic allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxation and retail margins. He said Nigerians should be able to see how the final pump price of petrol is arrived at.
Makinde said the same principle should apply to government generally, particularly in the manner public decisions are reached and resources are managed.
“It means that government must show its workings. It means that Nigerians must know how decisions are made, how public resources are used and who benefits from them,” he said.
The governor said the campaign would engage Nigerians whose everyday experiences reflect the impact of government policies, including traders, farmers, workers, entrepreneurs and young people.
Makinde recalled that his first bid for the Oyo governorship was also dismissed by many who doubted his chances of victory.
“They may discount one candidate. But they cannot discount millions of Nigerians united behind a better future,” he said.
He encouraged Nigerians to treat the campaign as a wider civic engagement rather than an exercise limited to politicians.
“Ask questions. Challenge our ideas. Share your own ideas. Organise within your communities. Become a resetter.
“We count. Our voices count. Our experiences count. Our ideas count. And, together, our votes will count,” Makinde said.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, who attended the commissioning, said Makinde met the requirements to seek the presidency and argued that voters should be allowed to freely determine their preferred leaders.
“Yes, Seyi Makinde is qualified to contest for President. What we are doing today is to show you that, for us, we don’t have desperation. We want the people of Nigeria to make their choice. Whoever they choose, all of us will come together to build a new Nigeria,” Obi said.
He said political contests should focus on finding solutions to the challenges facing Nigerians rather than worsening existing divisions.
“Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty. We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody,” he said.
APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, urged Nigerians to differentiate between individuals who are legally eligible to contest an election and those who have a realistic chance of winning.
“There are candidates that may be eligible, but they are not electable. I want Nigerians to be able to distinguish that,” Daura said.
He also appealed to opposition parties to base their campaigns on issues instead of attacking one another, saying their collaboration should be aimed at creating what he described as a “qualitative opposition”.
He said: “We are all together. We want to provide a very qualitative opposition. And that qualitative opposition is supposed to be beneficial to all Nigerians.’’
‘Disregard us at your own peril’ — Bala Mohammed
APM National Leader and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said the commissioning of the campaign headquarters underscored the party’s commitment to the 2027 elections.
“Whoever disregards us is doing it at his own peril,” Mohammed warned.
He commended Makinde’s performance in Oyo State, alongside his private-sector and oil and gas experience, saying the combination positioned him to undertake the task of resetting the country.
Mohammed also called for loyalty to the party, respect for its supremacy and unity among its members, urging Nigerians to place national interest above other considerations.
APM National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, described the commissioning as the launch of the party’s campaign to ‘Reset Nigeria’, saying the facility would serve as its operational base ahead of the 2027 election.
He said the large turnout at the event demonstrated what he described as Nigerians’ demand for competence, courage, compassion and accountability, while presenting the APM ticket as an alternative to existing political choices.
Dantalle said the campaign would prioritise practical solutions over political hostility. He also pointed to Makinde’s experience in Oyo State and Daura’s security background as complementary qualities for the presidential ticket.
“On a rescue mission, there is no time for frivolities. Citizens are tired and weary of politics of bitterness, division and hatred that impedes the nation’s democracy,” Dantalle said.
