Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday formally joined the presidential race for 2027 under an alliance involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM).
In his declaration speech delivered at a rally held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, and witnessed by a mammoth crowd, Makinde said,
“Today, I, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, FNSE, announce my candidacy for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the PDP/APM alliance.”
With the declaration, Makinde joined former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), among others, to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Speaking at the rally, Makinde said Nigeria was drifting dangerously towards a one-party state, warning that democracy itself was under threat if opposition forces failed to unite against what he described as systematic attempts to weaken alternative political voices.
At the rally were party enthusiasts, supporters and political stakeholders from across the country.
The rally, described by organisers as a “Unity Mega Rally,” turned Ibadan into a political carnival, with supporters of both parties chanting solidarity songs and waving party flags.
Speaking further, Makinde said the country had reached a critical political crossroads, insisting that the time had come for Nigerians and opposition parties to work together to rescue democracy and reset the nation.
“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 multiparty system, there is no democracy,” he added.
The governor lamented the worsening economic and security situations in the country, saying many Nigerians had been pushed into survival mode while those entrusted with power were allegedly treating public authority as personal property.
According to him, the opposition movement extended beyond political parties to include ordinary Nigerians frustrated by hardship and governance failures.
“They calculated and said opposition cannot unite. But I am here today to say it is a miscalculation.
“The opposition in Nigeria is not just the political parties. It is the everyday Nigerian for whom the country does not work,” he said.
Calling for mass civic participation, Makinde urged Nigerians to resist political apathy and become actively engaged in shaping the future of the country.
“This is the time for every one 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.
“It is time to confront our fears. It is time to be engaged citizens and not spectators in our own country,” he added.
The Oyo State governor said the newly announced PDP/APM alliance represented the beginning of a broader opposition coalition aimed at offering Nigerians an alternative political direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Describing Ibadan as “the city of warriors,” Makinde declared that the alliance would field candidates for elective offices from top to bottom across the country.
He, therefore, called for unity among opposition parties, describing the alliance between the PDP and APM as the beginning of a broader political coalition.
In his goodwill message, former Osun State Governor and PDP chieftain, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said the emerging alliance was borne out of dissatisfaction with the performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
He said the alliance was driven by promises made to Nigerians by President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 election campaign.
Oyinlola said, “What brought us to this level of alliance? About three and a half years ago, our brother, Bola Tinubu, said it was his turn to become President. He assured Nigerians that the power sector would be revitalised, the oil sector repositioned, and the country would move towards progress and prosperity.
“But where are we today? That was the purpose of the opposition summit in Ibadan, to chart a new course for the country and build a stronger alliance capable of addressing the challenges facing Nigerians,” Oyinlola said.
Earlier, some leaders of the PDP and APM signed a Memorandum of Understanding as part of the ongoing coalition and realignment efforts between the two political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The signing and presentation of the MoU were held at the PDP South-West Secretariat, Soji Adagunodo House, Old Ife Road, Ibadan.
Makinde, speaking after signing the MoU, said, “To the opposition political parties, this is the time for unity, one party at a time. That is exactly what the PDP and the APM are demonstrating today.
“This is the moment to work together in unity and determination to give our generation the leadership and direction it urgently needs. Today, I proudly declare the birth of the Reset Nigeria Movement. The time to reset Nigeria is now.
“And so, today, here in my home state, in Ibadan, the city of warriors, the first grand alliance is formed: the alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples’ Movement.
“This partnership will enable us to present candidates at every level of government, from the Presidency to the state houses of assembly and every office in between.”
Speaking at the signing and presentation of the MoU, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Dr Eddy Olafeso, thanked Makinde for the privilege of bringing new energy and unity among political leaders and for his strategic capacity and management of resources as the governor of Oyo State.
The governor later led the PDP and APM leaders, top government officials and political functionaries to Mapo Hall, where thousands of party loyalists had converged for the mega rally, with the Chairman of the PDP in Oyo State, Dayo Ogungbenro, noting that the unity rally was the climax of the alliance between the PDP and the APM after the two parties signed the MoU.
He described the alliance as the beginning of good things for Oyo State and Nigeria, assuring that the alliance of the two political parties would produce the President, Governors, National and State House of Assembly members in the 2027 general elections.
In their separate goodwill messages, Oyinlola and the PDP National Vice Chairman (South-East), Chief Ali Odefa, noted that the alliance of the two political parties was a result of the failure of the ruling APC to keep its numerous campaign promises.
They added that Nigeria “cannot afford to operate a one-party system, as parties are coming together to ensure an end to the incompetence of the current administration in the country.”
Also in their remarks, the National Chairman of APM, Dantalle and the National Secretary of the party, Oyadeyi Ayodele, congratulated Makinde and the leaders of the parties on the alliance, stressing that both parties had begun to work together to ensure that Nigeria reclaimed its pride of place as one of the best countries in Africa.
The two events had in attendance the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal; former deputy governor, Hamid Gbadamosi; Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin; former Speaker, Monsurat Sunmonu; all serving House of Representatives members of the party in Oyo State as well as governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly aspirants on the platform of the party in Oyo State.
Also in attendance were the APM National Vice Chairman (South-West), Peter Olabanji; APM National Women Leader, Hajia Hafsat Usman; APM Chairman, Oyo State, Adegbenro Fagbemi; PDP Chairman, Ekiti State, Tunji Odeyemi; PDP Caretaker Chairman, Osun State, Babatunde Tijani and the PDP Chairman, Lagos State, Dr Amos Fawole.
Top government functionaries, including the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Segun Ogunwuyi; Chairman, Ibadan Airport Upgrade Committee, Bimbo Adekanmbi; Deputy Chief of Staff, Kazeem Adeniyi; Chairman, Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun; commissioners, special advisers, executive assistants, special assistants and other PDP stakeholders were also in attendance.
