The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has urged the party’s new leadership to collaborate with other opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makinde, who is also the Oyo State Governor, made the call on Thursday at the APM national convention held at the Dr Rilwanu Sulaimanu Adamu Square, Government House, Bauchi.
He said a strong opposition was essential to sustaining democracy, urging the new leadership to build partnerships with other opposition groups to present Nigerians with a credible alternative in 2027.
“As I said, the presence of a credible opposition is what sustains democracy. So, our new leaders must be ready to work with other opposition parties to ensure that we give Nigeria an incredible alternative in the 2027 general election,” Makinde said.
The governor said the 2027 election should move beyond campaign promises, political slogans and government announcements, arguing that Nigerians should instead assess political leaders based on measurable improvements in their lives.
“For too long, we have measured governors by announcements. We are presented with policy after policy, rather than evidence of where those policies have made people’s lives better,” he said.
Makinde said the impact of economic policies was best understood through the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
“When our mothers go to the market, they experience economic policy as a statistic. They experience it in what their money can buy: how much rice, how much beans, and how much they can take home,” he said.
He also said employment policies should be judged by whether Nigerians could secure productive jobs rather than by government pronouncements.
“We experience job creation policy through a press statement. The experience is whether you can find productive work,” Makinde added.
On security, the APM presidential candidate said government performance should be measured by the safety Nigerians experience in their communities rather than the number of meetings held by security officials.
“Security is not the number of security meetings in Government House. It is whether people come home and sleep with their two eyes closed,” he said.
Makinde urged candidates seeking to replace the current government to clearly explain what they would do differently if elected.
“The 2027 election should not simply be about what government has done. It should be about what has changed for Nigerians,” he said.
“Those of us who offer ourselves as alternatives must answer the question: What exactly will we do differently, and what measurable difference should Nigeria expect to see?”
He said Nigeria needed an economy capable of lifting millions of people out of poverty, creating productive opportunities for young Nigerians, improving education and strengthening security.
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