The presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Peter Obi have signalled greater cooperation among opposition forces ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, made a solidarity appearance on Monday at the inauguration of Makinde’s campaign office in Abuja, where both politicians spoke about the need for Nigerians to have a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Makinde, who is also the governor of Oyo State, said his “Reset Nigeria” campaign was intended to engage citizens in determining the country’s future.
He described the inauguration as more than the opening of a campaign office, saying it represented an opportunity for Nigerians to participate in a national conversation about the direction of the country.
“Today, we are not just opening a campaign office. We are opening another door for Nigerians to join the conversation about the future of our country,” Makinde said.
The governor said his political project would focus on tackling corruption, improving accountability and ensuring that Nigeria’s resources translated into better living conditions for citizens.
He also addressed the controversy surrounding his position on crude oil pricing for domestic refineries, insisting that his advocacy should not be interpreted as support for the return of fuel subsidy.
“That is not my position,” Makinde said, stressing that crude produced in Nigeria should not be priced for domestic refineries as though it had been imported.
According to him, Nigeria’s crude must deliver “a real and measurable benefit to Nigerians”, arguing that such benefits should be incorporated into the pricing structure for domestic refining rather than through opaque interventions after inefficiencies and costs had accumulated.
He also called for greater transparency throughout the petroleum value chain, including crude production and allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxation and retail margins.
“Nigerians should know what they are paying for, who receives what and where inefficiencies are increasing the final price,” he said.
Makinde further said his proposed reset of the country would require a government that was transparent about its decisions and the use of public resources.
“It means that government must show its workings,” he said.
Rejecting suggestions that his presidential campaign was insignificant, the governor recalled that he had faced similar doubts when he first contested the Oyo governorship.
He argued that dismissing his campaign amounted to dismissing the concerns of Nigerians dealing with rising prices, unemployment, high business costs and other economic pressures.
“But we count. Our voices count. Our experiences count. Our ideas count. And, together, our votes will count,” he said.
The presence of Obi and other opposition figures, including members of the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was welcomed by Makinde as evidence of efforts to build cooperation among opposition political actors ahead of 2027.
Obi: Opposition not desperate for power
Obi said the opposition was not driven by desperation to take power in 2027, insisting that Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their preferred candidate.
The former Anambra governor also described Makinde as qualified to contest the presidency, while stressing that opposition politicians should be prepared to support whoever emerges through a free, fair and credible election.
“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,” Obi said.
He added that all political actors should work together after the election to address the country’s challenges, regardless of who wins.
“Whoever they choose, all of us will come together to build a new Nigeria,” he said.
Obi said Nigerians were facing hunger, poverty and insecurity and could no longer afford to continue along the current trajectory.
“We can’t all continue the way we are going today. Our people are hungry. Our people are poor. Our people are insecure,” he said.
He called for a shift in political competition towards solving citizens’ problems rather than personal and partisan disagreements.
“Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty,” Obi said.
He also pledged continued opposition unity in what he described as efforts to rescue the country.
APM promises security, poverty reduction
The APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, said the Makinde-Lawal Daura ticket would prioritise insecurity, poverty and other challenges confronting Nigerians if elected.
Dantalle said the turnout at the campaign-office inauguration reflected what he described as growing demand for leadership based on competence, accountability and concern for citizens’ welfare.
He cited Makinde’s record as Oyo governor as evidence of his capacity to lead at the federal level.
“Be rest assured that Makinde will be President to all Nigerians as he has ably demonstrated as Governor of Oyo State,” Dantalle said.
On Daura’s selection as running mate, the APM chairman said his experience in the security sector was a major consideration, noting that the former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) would bring security expertise to the ticket.
“With a competent vice presidential candidate, Daura, who once headed a critical security service in the country, insecurity will be tackled head-on,” he said.
The event was attended by several opposition figures, including APM national leader and 2027 Bauchi South senatorial candidate Bala Mohammed, Oyo State Deputy Governor Adebayo Adeleke Lawal, APM vice presidential candidate Lawal Daura, National Secretary Ayodele Adebayo, former Minister of Women Affairs Zainab Maina and former Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu.
