Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election under a new alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples' Movement (APM). He made the announcement during a rally at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, attended by thousands of supporters, party leaders, and political figures. The event, dubbed a "Unity Mega Rally," marked the first major public gathering of the PDP/APM coalition, with leaders from both parties signing a Memorandum of Understanding earlier at the PDP South-west Secretariat on Old Ife Road, Ibadan.
Makinde positioned himself as a challenger to President Bola Tinubu, also from the South-West, becoming the first sitting governor to formally enter the 2027 presidential race. He warned against the country drifting into a one-party state, citing what he described as systematic efforts to weaken opposition parties. "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," Makinde said. "Without a multiparty system there is no democracy."
He argued that the opposition is not limited to political parties but includes everyday Nigerians struggling with economic 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," Makinde stated. He urged citizens to reject political apathy and actively participate in shaping the nation's future.
The governor described Ibadan as "the city of warriors" and declared the PDP/APM alliance would field candidates at all levels nationwide. PDP Oyo State Chairman Ogungbenro said the coalition would produce the next president, governors, and legislators. Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and PDP National Vice Chairman Ali Odefa attributed the alliance to the ruling All Progressives Congress's failure to fulfill its campaign promises.
Seyi Makinde criticizes one-party rule while aligning with a party structure that has historically dominated opposition politics in the same region he now seeks to lead nationally. His declaration hinges on unity, yet the PDP/APM coalition has not demonstrated how it will reconcile internal party differences beyond symbolic gestures. The claim that opposition equals the struggling Nigerian rings hollow if the alliance offers no new policy direction beyond regrouping old political forces. Makinde's bid may reflect ambition, but it does not yet challenge the template of elite-driven politics he claims to oppose.
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