Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has declared that his 2027 presidential ambition remained on course, declaring that he did not join the race to jump ship, midway.
He made his stance known in the 142nd edition of his bi-monthly newsletter, Business of Governance, the second for the month of July.
He acknowledged in the newsletter, titled “We Choose To Stand Our Ground,” that he was aware of speculations that he was in the race merely to position himself for negotiations.
Declaring that he will stand his ground, Makinde dismissed insinuation that he would step down for another presidential candidate when the time for election will eventually come.
Makinde and his presidential ambition
“Since I formally entered the presidential race, I have heard the speculation.
“Some say I am merely positioning myself for negotiations. Others say that when the time comes, I will step down for another candidate,” he stated.
Dismissing the speculations, the governor emphatically declared: “Let me be clear: I did not step forward in order to step down. I am going forward.
“I am going forward because Nigerians deserve better. Nigerians deserve institutions that serve the law, rather than political interests.
“They deserve an economy that rewards hard work, communities in which they can live without fear of abduction and leaders who will defend the public interest, even when doing so is inconvenient.”
He, however, stated that he was aware of the scale of the political forces milling against his presidential ambition, particularly the formidable political machine of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I understand the scale of the political forces gathered on the other side. Some will look at the machinery of the ruling party and conclude that the outcome has already been decided.
“But I have been counted out before. Oyo State has shown that practical, people-centred governance is possible.
“We do not claim to have solved every problem, but we have demonstrated that there is another way to govern.
“This journey is about giving Nigerians a credible choice. Every political establishment looks unbeatable—until the people decide that it is not.
“We have chosen to stand our ground,” Governor Makinde stated, assuring that he was not in the presidential race to jump ship ahead of the 2027 elections.
Recall that the Oyo State governor had, on 14 May, 2026, openly declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Declaring his ambition at the historic Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Makinde announced the birth of the Reset Nigeria Movement, declaring that it was a rallying point for all suffering Nigerians.
He then said the Movement would serve as a platform for Nigerians who he said were hard done by the harsh economic policies and lack of direction by the APC-led government at the centre.
According to him, the mass of Nigerians would use the Movement to work in unity to give the country the reset it needed.
Makinde had assuredly maintained that Nigerians would witness the birth of a new nation from 29 May, 2027.
He stated that, despite the hardship allegedly visited on them and oppression of opposition parties by the APC, Nigerians would not cave in or allow APC to foist a one-party system on the country.
He, however, called on Nigerians to shake off apathy by engaging in the political process to ensure that Nigeria worked for everyone, adding that it was high time Nigerians confronted their fears and rescued their country.
He had equally tasked opposition political parties to unite, saying PDP and APM have shown an example of how parties must engage to rescue Nigeria from APC, on whose watch, he said, the country has been crumbling.
Among other things, he had said at 14 May declaration: “Let me start by appreciating the good people of Oyo State for giving us the opportunity to serve them for these past seven years, and for their unwavering support In this transition period. Thank you very much.
“Today, we are all here at this mega rally to announce the grand alliance between the PDP and the APM. We must trace our steps to understand how we arrived here.
“In the past few years, we have found ourselves at a point in our political history as a nation where the very foundation of democracy is being shaken.
“We have witnessed the continuous meddling in the affairs of opposition parties in our dear country with the aim of taking Nigeria to a one-party system. Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. So where is our multi-party?
“The economic and security situations have continued to deteriorate, putting the majority of Nigerians on survivor mode. And this is on a daily basis.
“Those charged with the responsibility of looking out for the welfare of citizens are treating the authority they hold in trust as personal property that they can wield as they please.
“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 the way we are to continue as a nation?
“We have been pushed to the wall with the belief that we will turn against ourselves in confusion. Or worse still, that we will become too weary from trying to survive on a daily basis to fight back.
“They calculated and said the opposition cannot unite. But I am here today to say that it is a miscalculation. The opposition in Nigeria is not just political parties.
“The opposition is the everyday Nigerian for whom the country does not work, and even the opposition political parties in Nigeria remain collectively resolved to work together to present an alternative.
“This is the time for all of us to shake off the apathy that is gradually taking root and engage with the political process to ensure that Nigeria works for us.
“This is the time to confront our fears. Do not be afraid. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators in our own country. We cannot be bystanders. We must engage, we must participate and the outcome will be guaranteed.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite. One party at a time and this is what PDP and APM are doing right now. It is the time to work in unity to give our dear nation the results that it needs.
“This handshake will allow us field candidates at all levels. We will field candidates from top to bottom. We will field candidates from Presidency to state House of Assembly and everything in between.”
