2027: Those who write off our campaign will learn their lesson – Makinde, opens APM campaign office in Abuja
The APM presidential candidate, Engr. Seyi Makinde, declared that his 2027 campaign would be driven by a “Reset Nigeria” agenda, insisting that the country’s resources must be made to produce measurable benefits for ordinary Nigerians.
Makinde spoke in Abuja while delivering an address at the commissioning of the APM presidential campaign office, an event attended by political leaders and representatives of opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said the opening of the office was not merely a campaign ritual but “another door” for Nigerians to participate in determining the future direction of the country.
“Today, we are not just opening a campaign office. We are opening another door for Nigerians to join the conversation about the future of our country,” Makinde said.
The governor, who has increasingly positioned his presidential ambition around economic restructuring, transparency and institutional accountability, used the occasion to clarify his position on petrol pricing, amid growing concerns over the cost of living and the consequences of fuel price increases.
Makinde rejected the interpretation that his position amounted to a demand for a return to the old fuel subsidy regime.
According to him, the issue was not about recreating an opaque system of subsidising petrol at the point of sale, but ensuring that crude oil produced in Nigeria and supplied to domestic refineries was priced in a manner that reflected the country’s status as an oil-producing nation.
“If a community grows food, the people of that community should not have to buy that food as though it travelled halfway around the world before reaching them,” he said.
“So why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil?”
He argued that Nigeria’s crude oil should provide “a real and measurable benefit” to Nigerians through the price at which crude is made available for domestic refining.
The APM candidate also demanded greater transparency across the petroleum value chain, saying Nigerians should be able to determine how the price of petrol is arrived at and identify those benefiting from the system.
“We need complete transparency across the petroleum value chain—from production and domestic crude allocation to refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins,” he said.
For Makinde, such transparency is central to his proposed “Reset Nigeria” agenda, which he said would require government to explain its decisions, demonstrate how public resources are deployed and ensure that national wealth translates into improved living conditions.
The governor also addressed political scepticism surrounding his candidacy, recalling that he faced similar doubts when he first contested the Oyo State governorship.
He said political sceptics had previously dismissed his chances because of the established forces arrayed against him, only for voters in Oyo State to produce a different outcome.
Makinde said he therefore would not be troubled by those who were already writing off his 2027 presidential campaign.
“I have been here before. When I first asked the people of Oyo State to entrust me with the responsibility of serving them, many people said I did not stand a chance, ” Makinde said.
According to him, dismissing the APM campaign amounts to dismissing the aspirations of Nigerians struggling with economic hardship, unemployment, rising transportation costs, agricultural challenges and declining purchasing power.
“They may discount one candidate. But they cannot discount millions of Nigerians united behind a better future,” he declared.
Makinde consequently called on Nigerians to take ownership of the campaign, urging traders, farmers, workers, business owners and young people to participate in what he described as a national conversation.
He said the campaign office would remain open to Nigerians willing to question, challenge and contribute to the APM’s ideas. “Become a Resetter,” he urged Nigerians.
Makinde concluded his address with a direct message to Nigerians saying: “This is our country. These are our resources. We count. And together, we will Reset Nigeria.”
Earlier, the APM National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, expressed confidence in the party’s chances in the 2027 elections, saying Nigerians were determined to elect the party across different levels.
Dantalle described the Makinde-Daura ticket as one designed to confront insecurity, poverty and economic degradation.
He said Makinde’s experience as governor would be deployed towards economic revitalisation and poverty reduction, while Lawal Daura’s background in security would strengthen the ticket’s response to the country’s security challenges.
The political significance of the event was further underscored by the presence of opposition leaders and representatives, amid renewed efforts to forge a broad political platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
Former Anambra State governor and NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in his goodwill message, stressed the importance of opposition unity, saying the collective interest of the opposition should take precedence over individual presidential ambitions.
Obi said he was not desperate to become president in 2027, insisting that the unity of opposition forces was more important to the country’s political future.
Similarly, former Niger State governor and Secretary of the PDP Board of Trustees, Aliyu Babangida, called for opposition unity as a means of confronting corruption and insecurity.
Babangida said recent engagements among opposition figures in Ibadan and Abuja were already producing encouraging signs, pointing to Obi’s presence at the APM event as evidence of growing cooperation.
The APM national leader and Bauchi State Governor, who is also contesting for the Bauchi South senatorial seat, also warned those underestimating Makinde’s presidential bid, predicting that the Makinde-Daura ticket would surprise its critics in 2027.