ABUJA — The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has hit back at those dismissing his 2027 presidential ambition, declaring that no individual or group can discount the millions of Nigerians whose votes will ultimately determine the country’s political future.
Makinde spoke in Abuja on Monday while commissioning the APM presidential campaign headquarters, where he formally unveiled the party’s “Reset Nigeria” campaign.
The campaign, according to him, will focus on transparency in governance, accountability and ensuring that Nigeria’s vast resources translate into improved living conditions for citizens.
The Oyo State governor also clarified his position on petrol pricing, stressing that he was not calling for a return to the old fuel subsidy regime.
Rather, Makinde said Nigerians should benefit more directly from the crude oil produced in the country.
He argued that such benefits should be incorporated into the price at which crude oil is supplied to domestic refineries, instead of relying on government interventions after costs and inefficiencies have accumulated throughout the petroleum value chain.
“So why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil?” Makinde asked.
He called for greater transparency in every stage of the petroleum industry, including crude oil production, domestic crude allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxation and retail margins.
According to him, Nigerians should be able to clearly understand how the final pump price of petrol is arrived at.
‘Government must show its workings’
Makinde said the principle of transparency should extend beyond the petroleum sector to the broader operations of government.
“It means that government must show its workings. It means that Nigerians must know how decisions are made, how public resources are used and who benefits from them,” he said.
The presidential candidate said the Reset Nigeria campaign would deliberately engage Nigerians whose everyday experiences reflect the impact of government policies.
He listed traders, farmers, workers, business owners and young people among those whose voices would be central to the campaign.
Makinde recalled that when he first contested the Oyo State governorship, many Nigerians had dismissed his chances of winning.
Drawing from that experience, he said political observers should not make the mistake of underestimating the electorate.
“They may discount one candidate. But they cannot discount millions of Nigerians united behind a better future,” Makinde said.
He urged Nigerians to see the campaign as a broader civic conversation rather than an exercise restricted to politicians.
“Ask questions. Challenge our ideas. Share your own ideas. Organise within your communities. Become a resetter.
“We count. Our voices count. Our experiences count. Our ideas count. And, together, our votes will count,” he said.
Peter Obi backs Makinde’s eligibility
Also speaking at the commissioning, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, said Makinde was qualified to contest the presidency and should be allowed to seek the mandate of Nigerians.
Obi said political parties and candidates should allow Nigerians to freely determine who should lead the country.
“Yes, Seyi Makinde is qualified to contest for President. What we are doing today is to show you that, for us, we don’t have desperation. We want the people of Nigeria to make their choice. Whoever they choose, all of us will come together to build a new Nigeria,” Obi said.
He said political competition should be centred on finding solutions to Nigeria’s challenges rather than deepening divisions among citizens.
“Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty. We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody,” he added.
‘Not every candidate is electable’ — Daura
APM vice-presidential candidate Lawal Daura urged Nigerians to distinguish between candidates who are legally qualified to contest an election and those who have a realistic chance of winning it.
“There are candidates that may be eligible, but they are not electable. I want Nigerians to be able to distinguish that,” Daura said.
He also called on opposition parties to focus their campaigns on issues rather than attacking one another.
Daura said cooperation among opposition forces should be directed towards building what he described as a “qualitative opposition” capable of serving the interests of Nigerians.
“We are all together. We want to provide a very qualitative opposition. And that qualitative opposition is supposed to be beneficial to all Nigerians,” he said.
‘Disregard us at your own peril’ — Bala Mohammed
APM National Leader and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said the commissioning of the campaign headquarters demonstrated the party’s seriousness about the 2027 presidential election.
He warned political opponents against underestimating the party.
“Whoever disregards us is doing it at his own peril,” Mohammed said.
The Bauchi governor praised Makinde’s record in Oyo State, as well as his experience in the private sector and oil and gas industry, arguing that the combination had prepared him for the task of resetting the country.
Mohammed also stressed the importance of party loyalty, supremacy and internal harmony, urging Nigerians and political actors to place national interest above personal ambitions.
‘Reset Nigeria’ campaign begins — Dantalle
APM National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, described the commissioning of the headquarters as the formal beginning of the party’s “Reset Nigeria” campaign ahead of the 2027 election.
He said the headquarters would serve as the party’s campaign base as it takes its message to Nigerians across the country.
According to Dantalle, the large turnout at the event reflected what he described as Nigerians’ growing demand for competence, courage, compassion and accountability in leadership.
He presented the Makinde-Daura ticket as a viable alternative to the established political order.
Dantalle said the campaign would focus on solutions rather than political bitterness, adding that Makinde’s administrative record in Oyo State and Daura’s security background provided complementary strengths for the presidency.
“On a rescue mission, there is no time for frivolities. Citizens are tired and weary of politics of bitterness, division and hatred that impedes the nation’s democracy,” Dantalle said.
