Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Thursday formally joined the presidential race for 2027 under an alliance involving the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples’ Movement.
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.”
According to The PUNCH, ABNTV reports that Makinde may formally declare his presidential ambition during the rally on Thursday.
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, and 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 organizers 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 born out of dissatisfaction with the performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
