Makinde Recasts Presidential Race as APC vs Nigerians
By Akin Alade
Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, is attempting to redefine the political conversation ahead of the 2027 presidential election by presenting the contest less as a battle between political parties and more as a referendum on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Makinde made the declaration at an APM North-West zonal town hall meeting in Katsina, where he said the election would not be “APC versus APM” or a contest involving other opposition parties, but “APC versus Nigerians.”
The framing places the performance and policies of the federal government at the centre of the coming campaign. Rather than making APM the sole focus of his message, Makinde is seeking to connect his presidential bid to broader concerns about the economy, education, security and governance.
The governor has also begun attaching policy proposals to the political message. Under his proposed “Reset Nigeria” agenda, he has spoken about developing a more productive economy, improving education through better data on out-of-school children and reviewing the country’s security architecture. He has also advocated greater participation by state governments in mining activities.
Makinde’s approach means that the 2027 contest could increasingly be fought over competing assessments of the Federal Government’s record and the alternatives being offered by opposition candidates. Other opposition figures are pursuing different platforms, with the field already including candidates such as Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
At the same time, the “APC versus Nigerians” formulation raises a central campaign question: how will APM convert dissatisfaction with the ruling party, where it exists, into support for its own presidential ticket? Makinde will therefore have to communicate not only what he believes should change but also how his proposed policies would be implemented nationally.
The governor has urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate in the 2027 election, framing voter participation as an important part of determining the country’s political direction. His Katsina appearance was described as the first in a planned series of APM zonal town hall meetings across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
With the 2027 contest taking shape, Makinde’s message adds another dimension to an increasingly competitive political field: whether voters will primarily assess the election through the record of the incumbent administration, the competing programmes of opposition candidates, or a combination of both.
