Ibadan: Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State declared his intention to run for the 2027 presidential election under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) during an event in Ibadan.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Makinde, who previously won the Oyo State Governorship Elections in 1999 and 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced an alliance between his faction of the PDP and APM. This alliance is set to bolster his preferred candidate, Mr. Abimbola Adekanmbi, for the gubernatorial race in the 2027 general election.
Makinde’s declaration was made at a Unity Rally, organized to solidify the partnership between PDP and APM. He urged opposition leaders to unite against efforts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. Makinde criticized the current political environment, asserting that it lacks a fair democratic process for opposition parties due to ruling party interference.
He encouraged Nigerians to engage actively in the political process, emphasizing that collective voter participation could lead to a significant change in the 2027 elections. Makinde and PDP leaders had previously met with APM’s national leadership, led by Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, at the PDP South-West secretariat in Ibadan, where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize their alliance.
Following the meeting, Makinde and his supporters gathered at Mapo Hall, where he officially announced his presidential aspirations for the upcoming election cycle.