Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has called for a departure from the politics of rotational leadership, unveiling a “Reset Nigeria” agenda aimed at addressing the country’s economic, security and governance challenges ahead of the 2027 general election.
Makinde made the call at the APM South-West town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, attended by party leaders and representatives from Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo states.
The governor urged Nigerians to prioritise the energy, capacity and competence of presidential candidates rather than making age the central issue in the election.
“Why are we making age an issue in this campaign? I will make energy an issue,” he said.
Defending his presidential ambition despite the South-West’s previous occupancy of the presidency, Makinde cited the 1999 presidential election, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae, both from the region, contested the election.
“Both were from the South-West, and heaven did not fall,” he said, arguing that the region had the right to present candidates for Nigerians to assess and choose from.
Makinde also criticised the Federal Government’s budget management, questioning the implementation of national budgets and the decision to fly Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from New York to Abuja to present the UN budget to the President.
Comparing the situation with his administration’s record in Oyo State, the governor said budget performance had improved from between 28 and 30 per cent before he assumed office to more than 70 per cent under his leadership.
“For the past seven-plus years, budget performance in Oyo State has risen to over 70 per cent. It is not a one-year achievement. It is something we do year in, year out,” he said.
Outlining his Reset Nigeria agenda, Makinde identified education, security, economic productivity and an inclusive sociopolitical environment as key priorities, stressing that national development must benefit all Nigerians regardless of their region or social status.
“We want a Nigeria that works for everybody, not a Nigeria that works for a very few,” he said.
The governor condemned what he described as a political culture in which leaders prioritise personal and regional interests over national development.
“We say no to a turn-by-turn Nigeria, where somebody says, ‘It is my turn to run a nepotistic administration,’” he said.
On economic policy, Makinde called for measures that would enable Nigerians to become productive and prosperous rather than remain dependent on government allocations.
“Please, let the people be productive. When they are productive, they become prosperous. Don’t tax poverty,” he added.
He also promised to reform Nigeria’s security architecture to create a safer environment for businesses, investors and other economic activities.
“We will reset our security architecture so that our economy will not shut down at 8 p.m. We will expand our economy,” Makinde said.
On democracy, the governor warned against alleged attempts to destabilise opposition parties, insisting that a functional multiparty system was essential to the country’s democratic development.
“Stop using the back door to cause crises in opposition parties. There is no democracy if we have a one-party system,” he said.
The APM National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, also called for collective action to address Nigeria’s economic hardship, insecurity and accountability challenges.
Dantalle questioned why Nigerians continued to struggle with rising prices, high living costs and declining purchasing power despite the country’s abundant natural and human resources.
He further expressed concern over insecurity, attacks on communities and threats to citizens’ lives, urging public institutions to become more responsive to the needs of the people.
According to him, democracy should extend beyond the conduct of elections to include respect for voters’ choices and the willingness of elected representatives to defend the interests of their constituents.
“The message is very simple: Nigeria belongs to all of us, and we must come together to rescue our country,” he said.
Dantalle maintained that rebuilding Nigeria required collective responsibility rather than reliance on an individual or political party.
“Nobody will fix Nigeria for us unless we collectively decide to fix it ourselves,” he added.
The APM vice-presidential candidate, Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura, described the turnout at the meeting as encouraging and urged party members to sustain their mobilisation efforts ahead of the election.
Daura said the party’s mission extended beyond addressing Nigeria’s immediate challenges to rebuilding the country and restoring public confidence in governance.
He urged members to remain united, disciplined and committed to the party’s objectives, while warning against attempts to disrupt its activities.
The vice-presidential candidate said the party intended to begin implementing its programmes from May 29, 2027, if elected, adding that preparations were already underway.
Also speaking, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed called on party members to remain committed to the APM’s national renewal agenda.
Mohammed described their participation in the party as a demonstration of their commitment to Nigeria and urged them to remain focused on grassroots mobilisation.
He also alleged that some individuals were attempting to infiltrate the party and disrupt its activities, adding that the party would take lawful steps to address such conduct.
Hajia Maryam Inna Ciroma urged Nigerians, particularly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to support the APM, arguing that the country needed leadership committed to democratic participation, inclusiveness and national development.
She commended Makinde’s stated commitment to gender inclusion and called on Nigerians to unite in protecting democratic institutions.
The speakers urged party members to take the Reset Nigeria message to communities across the country and intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.
