Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has defended his decision to vie for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027 despite President Bola Tinubu, also from the South-West, seeking re-election.
Makinde said there was nothing unusual about the region producing more than one presidential candidate, citing the 1999 election in which former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae, both from the South-West, contested for the presidency.
He spoke on Thursday at the APM South-West Town Hall Meeting held in Akure, Ondo State, where he rejected arguments that the region should not produce another presidential contender because it currently occupies the presidency.
Makinde said political competition should give Nigerians the opportunity to choose between candidates based on their capacity and proposed direction for the country rather than on geographical considerations.
“I’ve listened to people. They said to us, ‘Seyi Makinde, why are you contesting in this election when the South-West already has somebody seated on that seat?’ And I’ve explained to them, we do have an example here in the South-West,” he said.
Recalling the 1999 presidential election, Makinde said the South-West presented Obasanjo and Falae as competing options and that the development did not cause a crisis.
“As a matter of fact, what the South-West did was to present two of their finest, two of their best for Nigeria to choose from. Is there anything wrong with that this time around?” he asked.
Makinde’s defence comes amid political arguments over whether the South-West should support a single presidential candidate in 2027, given that Tinubu, who is seeking another term, is from the region.
His position is that Nigerians should have competing choices rather than have presidential competition restricted by regional considerations.
At the town hall, the APM candidate also urged South-West voters to reject what he described as the politics of deceit, while presenting his record in Oyo State as the basis for his presidential ambition.
Makinde said his campaign would focus less on attacking opponents and more on his administration’s achievements and his plans for Nigeria.
He also criticised the Federal Government over the presentation of the United Nations budget to Tinubu in Nigeria by Nigeria’s permanent representatives to the UN, Jimoh Ibraheem, questioning the expenditure involved in travelling from New York to Abuja for the exercise.
The governor further criticised what he described as uncertainty surrounding the implementation of Nigeria’s federal budgets.
“We don’t know which budget they are operating on for Nigeria,” he said, asking whether the country was operating the 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026 budget.
On the age of presidential candidates, Makinde said he would avoid making age a central issue of his campaign but would instead focus on energy and stamina.
“I will not make age an issue of this campaign, but I will make energy,” he said, stressing the need for a president capable of handling the demands and rigours of office.
Makinde then challenged other presidential candidates to demonstrate their physical stamina during the campaign, telling supporters to judge candidates by their ability to cope with the demands of the office.
“When they bring their own presidential candidates, let the candidates come here and also jump down. If they can do that, vote for them,” he said after jumping from the stage at the event.
Makinde has also outlined a “Reset Nigeria” agenda focused on education, economic expansion, security and socio-political empowerment, according to reports from the Akure town hall.
