Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has emerged as the presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) for the 2027 general election, with former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Lawal Musa Daura, picked as his running mate.
Makinde’s emergence followed the APM National Convention held on Thursday at Rilwan Adamu Square, Bauchi, according to a statement issued by the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, in Ibadan.
Accepting the party’s presidential ticket, Makinde pledged to confront insecurity and tackle the worsening economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians if elected president in 2027.
The governor said his decision to pick Daura, who headed the SSS between 2015 and 2018, was deliberate, citing the former intelligence chief’s experience in the security sector and his capacity to contribute to efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
Makinde said he was ready to work with Nigerians and political actors who shared his vision of building a more prosperous and secure country, promising to leverage his experience in governing Oyo State at the national level.
He attributed part of the hardship confronting Nigerians to what he described as poorly implemented policies over the years, stressing the need for purposeful leadership capable of improving citizens’ welfare and restoring confidence in the country.
The governor also attached significance to the choice of Bauchi as the venue for the convention, noting that the state was the home of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
According to Makinde, the convention represented an important moment in Nigeria’s political history and offered an opportunity to chart a new direction for the country through leadership focused on addressing the challenges confronting citizens.
He pledged to make tackling insecurity and poverty central to his administration if elected, while calling on politicians and other stakeholders who shared his vision to join forces ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Daura, his running mate, brings extensive experience in Nigeria’s intelligence and security sector, having served as Director-General of the SSS from 2015 to 2018.
Makinde said the former intelligence chief’s experience was critical to strengthening the ticket’s capacity to confront insecurity and improve national security.
The governor’s emergence as the APM presidential candidate formally places him in the 2027 presidential race, having served as governor of Oyo State since 2019.
