Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has said he is considering possible political cooperation with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde said ongoing discussions with the two opposition figures could lead to an alliance or a contest between them, depending on political developments before the election.
The governor disclosed this in an interview with Arise Television aired on Friday, saying he had held separate engagements with Atiku, the African Democratic Congress candidate, and Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
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“I’ve had engagement with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. I’ve had engagement with H.E. Peter Obi,” he said.
Makinde said discussions were continuing because of the need to find a way to address the country’s challenges, adding that the political options remained open.
“Depending on what we see between now and the election time, we may be rivals; we may be collaborators. One may be the client of the other,” he said.
Asked whether he would consider an alliance with other opposition politicians, the governor said he was open to cooperation if it could help reposition the country.
“To reset Nigeria, yes,” he said.
However, Makinde said choosing a political partner would require careful consideration of available data and public opinion rather than an emotional decision.
“To arrive at a decision, you need data. We just won’t take an emotional decision and say, ‘oh, it’s you’,” he said.
He added that public sentiment would also influence any decision on a possible alliance.
“We also have, you know, the sentiment from the people; all of those things you put together and arrive at the best approach,” he said.
The governor also described Obi as qualified to become Nigeria’s president, indicating that he did not rule out working with the former Anambra governor if the opportunity arose.
Makinde said his willingness to collaborate extended beyond opposition politicians, including members of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“I’m willing to work with any Nigerian, even if you’re in the APC,” he said.
However, he expressed reservations about working with President Bola Tinubu, citing a previous disagreement over an agreement he said the President failed to honour.
Makinde said his experience with Tinubu differed from his engagements with Atiku and Obi.
“I’ve had a certain experience with him, where agreement was signed and he didn’t keep to it,” he said.
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