Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, signalling a major shift in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape ahead of the next general polls.
Makinde announced his presidential ambition during a unity rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, where leaders of his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) formalised a new political alliance aimed at strengthening opposition forces against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at the rally, the Oyo State governor said Nigeria’s democratic space was under threat, alleging that the APC was working toward turning the country into a one-party state.
According to him, opposition parties no longer operate on a level playing field, stressing that democracy cannot thrive where ruling parties interfere in the activities of political opponents.
“I, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, announce my candidacy for the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the governor declared before supporters and party leaders at the gathering.
Makinde also urged opposition leaders across the country to close ranks and work together ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that only a united front could rescue Nigeria’s democracy.
He called on Nigerians, particularly eligible voters, to actively participate in the electoral process instead of remaining passive observers of political developments.
The declaration came shortly after Makinde led the Taminu Turaki faction of the PDP in Oyo State to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the APM as part of preparations for the next election cycle.
The agreement was jointly signed by the governor and the National Chairman of the APM, Yusuf Dantalle.
Under the arrangement, candidates aligned with the PDP faction in Oyo State are expected to contest the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections on the platform of the APM rather than the PDP in 2027.
The alliance is seen as part of broader political realignments already taking shape across the country ahead of the presidential election.
