The presidential candidate of the Action Peoples Movement (APM), Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has said his 2027 campaign is centred on resetting Nigeria’s economy by moving the country towards intensive production, skills development and a 24-hour productive economy.
Makinde, who spoke on Tuesday at the APM North-West town hall meeting in Katsina, also pledged to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Constitution on the transfer of presidential powers whenever he is unavailable.
He said that, if elected President in 2027, he would transmit power to the Vice-President whenever he proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, in line with Section 145 of the Constitution.
“I promise you that, as your President, I will follow the Constitution to the letter. If I am not going to be available, if I am on vacation, I will transmit power to the Vice-President. Record this and hold me accountable,” he said.
Makinde explained that he already observes a similar constitutional principle in Oyo State by transmitting power to his deputy when he travels for more than 21 days for reasons other than official duties.
He questioned why the same principle should not be applied at the federal level, stressing that constitutional provisions should be respected irrespective of who occupies an office.
Speaking on his proposed Reset Nigeria Agenda, the APM candidate said his economic programme would focus on transforming Nigeria from a predominantly resource-dependent economy into a productive economy driven by skills, knowledge and large-scale production.
“We are determined to reset our economy. Yes, people will argue that Nigeria is rich in natural resources. But natural resources are not enough. You must have skills and knowledge, and you must also have intensive production. Our economy must work 24/7,” he said.
He said his administration, if elected, would pursue policies capable of creating an environment where Nigerians could produce more, create wealth and participate meaningfully in the economy.
On education, Makinde said his proposed reset would begin with obtaining reliable data on the number of out-of-school children across the country.
“We want to reset our education. We want to measure the data that we are being given. We want to know how many out-of-school children we have and how we get them back into school,” he said.
He also advocated the devolution of mining responsibilities to the states, arguing that the Federal Government should retain an oversight role while allowing states to exercise greater control over their mineral resources.
“Right now, the issue of mining is on the Exclusive Legislative List in our Constitution. Devolve that responsibility to the states and let there be oversight only at the federal level. They will do better,” he said.
According to him, the proposed restructuring would not be limited to mining but would involve a broader review of responsibilities between the federal and subnational governments.
On security, Makinde cited the recent death of 37 young Nigerians in Niger State, questioning whether the victims could be blamed for seeking ways to survive.
“Is it their fault that they were born in Nigeria? Is it their fault that they were looking for means of surviving? No, sir. The answer is no,” he said.
He also argued that tackling illegal mining required attention to both the supply and demand sides of the illicit trade.
Makinde said efforts that focused exclusively on illegal miners without addressing those purchasing or facilitating the demand for illegally mined resources would not completely resolve the problem.
“People may not want to take responsibility, but from what has been done so far and the actions that have been taken, we can see that we are focusing on the supply side of things.
“For every 10,000 illegal miners, you have perhaps another 10,000 on the demand side, legitimising the operation,” he said.
The APM presidential candidate urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the 2027 general elections.
“For the election, I maintain and repeat it: it won’t be APC versus APM, or APM versus ADC, or ADC versus NDC. It will be APC versus Nigerians,” he said.
Makinde said he would return to Katsina and other North-West states, including Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa, for state-by-state campaigns as the 2027 election season progresses.
He acknowledged the scale of the task ahead but said it was achievable with the support of Nigerians.
The governor said the ultimate objective of his proposed agenda was to build a country that works for all Nigerians, regardless of ethnic, religious or geographical differences.
Earlier, the APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, said the North-West and Nigeria generally were in need of what he described as a reset, identifying insecurity and poverty as the region’s major challenges.
“The North-West, and indeed Nigeria at large, is yearning for resetting Nigeria. Here in the North-West, some of our most prominent and pressing problems include, first and foremost, insecurity, and, of course, the twin brother of insecurity, which is poverty,” Daura said.
He said the proposed Reset Nigeria Agenda aligned with his belief that the country required fundamental changes, urging Nigerians to participate in the electoral process and support the APM ticket.
Daura said the details of the party’s agenda would be unveiled progressively during the campaign, while identifying restoration of security and normalcy as immediate priorities.
“It is real. It is sincere. It is honest, and it is going to deliver,” he said.
Also speaking, Dantalle said Nigeria could no longer afford a situation in which insecurity prevents farmers from accessing their farms, children from attending school and citizens from conducting their businesses safely.
“We must solve these problems together. Let our farmers return to their farms. Let our children go to school freely. Let Nigerians coexist peacefully and go about their normal businesses.
“We must put an end to insecurity and hunger, improve access to education, and eradicate poverty,” he said.
Dantalle described Makinde as “young, active and pragmatic”, citing his administration’s record in Oyo State, while describing Daura as a security expert from Katsina with relevant experience to contribute to addressing security challenges in the North-West and across Nigeria.