Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde says he is offering Nigerians an alternative to President Tinubu in the 2027 election, citing economic and security concerns
Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has declared that he is offering Nigerians an alternative to President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that Yoruba voters should have a choice beyond the incumbent.
Also read:Tinubu Support Group Targets 20 Million Votes for 2027
Makinde made the declaration during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, arguing that his Yoruba identity should not prevent him from contesting against Tinubu, who also comes from the South-West.
The governor said Nigeria was at a critical point and needed leadership capable of addressing its economic difficulties, insecurity and challenges in skills and knowledge development.
“I think where we are right now is Nigeria is at a crossroads. If the solution will come from a Yoruba President, they must have choices. I’m also a Yoruba person,” he said.
Makinde rejected suggestions that he could contest as a running mate to another politician, stressing that he was seeking the presidency in his own right.
He argued that the current administration had not adequately addressed major national challenges and said Nigerians should have the opportunity to consider a different approach to governance.
“I’m not running as a deputy to somebody, or as a vice to somebody. I am running to tell the people of Nigeria that the inability of the current administration to tackle decisively our economic issues, to tackle decisively the issue of insecurity, to tackle decisively the issue of skills and knowledge for our people, is not a Yoruba agenda,” he said.
The Oyo governor added that his ambition was to present an alternative to both Nigerians and the Yoruba people, rather than allow ethnic considerations to limit political competition.
“I, as a Yoruba man, am putting on the table an alternative for the people of Nigeria and the Yoruba people.
I’m the one going to the centre to say, ‘Look, at the centre, give me the opportunity to reset Nigeria. Let me be the Yoruba President,’” he added.
Makinde is among the 18 presidential candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
He is listed as the APM candidate, while Tinubu is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Other prominent contenders on INEC’s list include former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Sandy Ojang Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The contest is expected to take place amid continuing political discussions about zoning and the informal rotation of presidential power between northern and southern Nigeria.
Tinubu became president in 2023 after serving two terms under former President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration came from the North.
Makinde’s argument places emphasis on voter choice, maintaining that belonging to the same ethnic group should not prevent two politicians from competing for the country’s highest political office.
Also read:Tinubu Support Group Targets 20 Million Votes for 2027
The January 2027 election will determine whether Tinubu secures a second term or another candidate emerges as Nigeria’s next president.
