Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has picked former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), announced Daura as his vice-presidential candidate on Thursday at the party’s national convention held at the Government House in Bauchi.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Dotun Oyelade, Oyo State Commissioner for Information.
Makinde said Daura was deliberately selected because of his experience in security and the need to address Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
The governor also pledged to tackle poverty, saying he was prepared to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty, which he said had worsened over the past three years due to poorly implemented government policies.
Makinde said his administration at the federal level would work with politicians who share similar objectives to build a better Nigeria ahead of and after the 2027 elections.
The governor had declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on May 14 at a joint mega-rally organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
While announcing his presidential ambition, Makinde said his decision was driven by the need to reset Nigeria and provide citizens with a genuine choice about the country’s future.
He, however, acknowledged that the task extended beyond simply winning an election, stressing the need for a broader effort to transform the country.
Daura brings extensive experience in Nigeria’s security establishment to Makinde’s presidential campaign.
He served as Director-General of the DSS from July 2015 until August 2018.
His tenure ended after he was removed from office following a controversial DSS operation at the National Assembly complex.
Before joining the APM, Daura was the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship aspirant for Katsina State.
He resigned from the ADC on Sunday and subsequently announced plans to join the APM, citing what he described as injustice and instability within the party.
Makinde’s selection of Daura places security at the centre of the APM’s 2027 presidential campaign as the party seeks to position itself as an alternative to Nigeria’s established political platforms.
