IBADAN, Nigeria — The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has officially declared his intention to run for the Nigerian presidency in 2027, spearheading a new political alliance to unseat the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a surprise move on Thursday, Mr. Makinde announced he would contest on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), following a strategic pact between a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM.
Addressing a “mega-rally” at the historic Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the governor told cheering supporters that the country had been put on “survival mode” and required an urgent reset.
A ‘Grand Alliance’ Formed
The declaration marks a significant shift in the country’s political landscape. Mr Makinde, a high-profile figure in the PDP, has led his faction into a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the APM.
Under the terms of the agreement:
- The Platform: Governorship candidates, National Assembly, and State Assembly seats from the Makinde-led PDP faction will now run under the APM banner.
- Top to Bottom: The alliance intends to field candidates for every elective position in the 2027 general election.
- The Handshake: Mr. Makinde and the APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, signed the pact in Ibadan, describing it as a “handshake” across party lines.
‘Opposition is the Everyday Nigerian’
During his speech, Mr. Makinde rejected the notion that Nigeria’s fractured opposition could not unite. He argued that the current economic hardship had created a “natural” opposition among the citizenry.
“They said opposition cannot unite, but I am here today to say that it is a miscalculation,” the governor said. “The opposition in Nigeria is not just a political party. The opposition is the everyday Nigerian for whom the country does not work.”
He accused current government officials of “abdicating their duties” while the majority of Nigerians struggle to make ends meet.
The Road to 2027
The move by Mr. Makinde—who is currently serving his second term as governor—is seen as an attempt to bypass the internal crises plaguing the PDP at the national level. By aligning with the APM, he appears to be seeking a “third way” to challenge the APC’s grip on power.
Political analysts suggest that this “grand alliance” in Ibadan could trigger further realignments across the country as the 2027 election cycle takes shape.
The APC has yet to officially respond to the governor’s declaration, though President Bola Tinubu has recently called for unity within his own party as internal primaries approach.
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