Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Makinde announced at a political rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, where he addressed supporters amid rising political realignments involving factions of the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, Excellency, announce my candidacy for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
The declaration comes shortly after Makinde was linked to a broader opposition arrangement involving a PDP faction and the APM, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between both groups in Oyo State.
“This is why, for the past several months, one question has been at the top of my mind: where do we go from here? Is this how we should continue as a nation?
“We have been pushed to the wall with the belief that we will turn against ourselves or worst still, that we will become too weary to survive daily to fight back.
“They said opposition cannot unite, but I am here today to say that it is a miscalculation. The opposition in Nigeria is not just a political party. The opposition is the everyday Nigerian for whom the country does not work,” Makinde said.
Makinde said the alliance between the PDP and APM would enable the former ruling party to field candidates for all positions in the 2027 general election.
“So today in Ibadan, the first grand alliance is formed. The alliance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
“This handshake will allow us to field candidates at all levels. We will field candidates from top to bottom. We will field candidates from the presidency to state assemblies, and everything in between,” Makinde said.
Under the political understanding, candidates aligned with the PDP faction contesting various legislative and governorship positions are expected to run on the APM platform rather than the PDP in the 2027 elections.
Makinde decries Nigeria’s democratic system
In March, Makinde had described the current situation within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a challenging period for both the party and Nigeria’s democratic system following the recent Appeal Court judgment concerning the party’s leadership crisis.
“It’s a challenging period for us and for democracy in Nigeria. I have been speaking with people who have knowledge and who have been involved in the political evolution of this country, and none of them have seen a political landscape like what we are witnessing today,” he said.
Despite the internal crisis affecting the opposition party, the governor maintained that some members remain committed to standing on the side of the people.
“But we are not bothered. I can say personally and on behalf of my chairman that when the story of this period is told and when the story of democracy in Nigeria is written, they will find us on the side of the people,” he said.
Makinde further expressed hope that the political tensions would eventually pass, urging party leaders and members to remain mindful of the roles they play during the crisis.
“This period will also go away. It will pass away. Whatever role we want to play as individuals and collectively as a party, we must be conscious of what history is going to record for or against us during this period,” he added.
Quoting a biblical passage to emphasise his optimism, the governor said: “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
The governor stressed that despite the ongoing challenges within the party, leaders must remain focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and acting in ways that history would judge positively.
Earlier, the PDP Board of Trustees had convened an emergency meeting at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja to deliberate on the party’s internal crisis.
The meeting was chaired by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara and attended by several prominent figures in the party, including acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, former Deputy National Chairman Bode George, former Information Minister Jerry Gana, and former Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu.
The gathering of party leaders came amid growing concerns over the PDP’s leadership disputes and the potential impact on the party’s future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
