Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has pledged to train one million young Nigerians and tackle barriers to manufacturing as part of his agenda for the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde made the pledge at the party’s South-East town hall meeting in Enugu, where he announced that the APM would unveil its manifesto on November 4 after consultations across the six geopolitical zones.
He said the party’s four-point agenda would focus on economic recovery, security, education and reforms to the socio-political space.
“We do not simply manufacture policies out of thin air. We listen to our people, hear what they want to see, and incorporate their expectations into our agenda,” he said.
The governor disclosed that the party had partnered with Skill Reset Nigeria to train one million young Nigerians in skills aimed at improving their employment prospects.
He also identified high interest rates and inadequate access to long-term financing as major obstacles to manufacturing and business expansion, promising to create an environment that would encourage entrepreneurship and sustainable job creation.
Makinde said the party’s nationwide consultations had focused on addressing unemployment, poverty, insecurity and the growing trust deficit between government and citizens.
He urged Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious divisions, arguing that the country’s challenges affected citizens regardless of their backgrounds.
“Our message to you today is this: Please reject all forms of division along religious or ethnic lines. The challenges we face do not discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnicity,” he said.
The APM candidate also called for greater accountability in governance, saying prayers for the country must be accompanied by honesty and practical action.
“Prayers can also be answered here in Nigeria. Please, we will remain here, pray for our country and pray for our leaders because Nigeria belongs to all of us,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to retain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2027 elections, alleging that political opponents were attempting to buy support and destroy the party’s campaign materials.
“Let them pull down our posters. Let them destroy our billboards. But please, keep your Permanent Voter Cards and be ready to use them to vote. They cannot take your thumbprints away from you. That is what you will use to send them out of power,” Makinde said.
The APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, called on President Bola Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race and support Makinde, citing the Oyo governor’s reported backing of Tinubu in the 2023 election.
The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, said the APM planned to address Nigeria’s challenges through a 16-point agenda, adding that the party was committed to reforms that would benefit citizens.
“We are RESETERS, volunteers, and we are here to sacrifice for the good of the nation. We are serious about this mission. We are not here to joke, to steal or to lie,” Daura said.
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