Makinde banks on God, Nigerians to win 2027 presidential election

Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has expressed confidence in his chances of winning the 2027 presidential election, declaring that he has God and Nigerians on his side.

Makinde said his presidential ambition was not dependent on political godfathers but on divine support and the backing of the electorate.

He made the declaration on Sunday during a church service at the Church of Christ in Nations, Jos, Plateau State, where he presented his vision for Nigeria ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the governor said his ambition was driven by the need to address the country's challenges in security, the economy, education and the socio-political system.

Recalling how he became governor of Oyo State in 2019 without the backing of a political godfather, Makinde said he was relying on the same source of support for his presidential ambition.

He said, “When I said in Oyo State in 2018 that I would like to be governor, somebody asked me, ‘Governor of which Rotary District?’

“I said Governor of Oyo State, and they asked, ‘With no godfather; nobody in politics who can stand in for you?’ I responded by saying, ‘Well, I have God the Father. And I became the Governor of Oyo State.

“This time around, we also have God the Father, and God will be merciful unto Nigeria, and He will show us mercy in this country.”

The governor, who flagged off his presidential campaign in Bauchi State on Saturday, is in Jos for the party's Plateau State rally scheduled for Monday at Rayfield Park.

Speaking on a live political programme on Jay FM radio station in Jos, Makinde argued that Nigeria needed a fundamental reset rather than incremental reforms to overcome its economic and security challenges.

He said the country's problems had become too deep for conventional adjustments, comparing the situation to a computer system that required rebooting.

“Reform is possible when the good within a system outweighs the bad. At that point, you can say the system can be tweaked and improved.

“But when the good within the system accounts for only about 20 per cent of what you expect, then the best course of action may not be to tweak it,” he said.

Explaining his position, Makinde added, “You have a reset button. Basically, you shut down the system, reboot it and then have a clearer path to proceed with your programme.

“So, reform is not going to work within the environment we are in.”

He identified the economy as the foremost priority of his proposed Reset Nigeria Agenda, insisting that economic performance should be judged by its impact on ordinary citizens rather than official statistics.

“The economy must work for everybody. It is not about taking numbers out and saying external reserves have grown or quoting what the World Bank said about inflationary trends.

“What is the ordinary man on the street feeling? Are they able to feed themselves? If you cannot feel the impact of an improving economy at the street level, then the economy is not getting better,” he said.

The APM candidate called for increased investment in education, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and production, saying Nigeria must create opportunities for its growing youth population.

On security, Makinde renewed his support for state police, promising to decentralise the country's security architecture if elected president.

He said governors should be allowed to establish state police when they were ready, provided they put appropriate safeguards in place.

Makinde recalled that he had approached the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari towards the end of 2019 to advocate state police, but the proposal faced opposition over concerns about states' financial capacity.

He said governors in the South-West subsequently established the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, as an alternative security arrangement.

“Amotekun was a midway between having full-fledged state police and having nothing,” he said.

The governor explained that the arrangement had helped improve intelligence gathering and cooperation with federal security agencies.

He acknowledged concerns that state police could be abused by governors to intimidate citizens and political opponents but argued that safeguards could prevent such abuses.

“Those concerns are legitimate because some people believe it could become a tool in the hands of state governors to oppress the people.

“But we have gone through this type of arrangement before. We do not all have to establish state police at the same time.

“Let the opportunity exist. If you think you are ready, you have ticked the boxes and put the safeguards in place, you should go ahead and secure your state,” he said.

Makinde also linked insecurity to unemployment and the lack of economic opportunities, warning that neglecting young Nigerians could trigger bigger conflicts.

“Some of these young people are now getting involved in crime and criminality because we have not given them a path to the future,” he said.

He added, “If you do not give opportunities to the coming generation, it is a recipe for bigger conflicts ahead of us.”

The governor argued that Nigeria needed to harness its youthful population through deliberate investments in education, skills and productive economic activities.

He also defended his decision not to impose a total lockdown in Oyo State during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, saying he was concerned about residents who depended on daily earnings to feed their families.

Recalling a National Economic Council meeting during the pandemic, Makinde said he rejected the suggestion that all states should mandatorily shut down.

“I cannot lock down my state because I know people in my state who, if they don't go out today, have no food to eat that night or even the following day. How are we going to look after these people?” he recalled telling the meeting.

He said the decision was eventually left to individual state governments, adding that his administration relied on science, data and logic in managing the pandemic.

On education, Makinde said he remained committed to the vision of free education championed by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He also promised greater transparency and accountability in government, urging Nigerians to assess his presidential ambition through documented commitments rather than campaign promises.

Presenting his Reset Nigeria Manifesto to church leaders, he said, “I want Nigerians to be able to hold me accountable, not just through promises but through documented commitments.

“Everything is written down in black and white, and I am prepared to be held accountable for everything contained in this document.”

The President of COCIN, Rev Dr Amos Mohzo, urged Makinde to address insecurity and economic hardship if elected, while praying for his success in the presidential contest.

Makinde also called on Nigerians, particularly Christians, to participate actively in the electoral process.

“Please, get ready and participate. History is about to happen again,” he said.