Top Political Party Announces Who Will Be Makinde's Running Mate in 2027 Presidential Election
- The Allied Peoples' Movement named Ibrahim Adamu Bala, 51, from Bauchi State, as Seyi Makinde's running mate for the 2027 presidential election
- INEC's candidate nomination portal confirmed Bala's listing as the party's vice-presidential candidate, though no official statement had been issued
- A senior APM official clarified that Bala had no connection to Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, noting only a similarity in names
The Allied Peoples' Movement (APM) has settled on Ibrahim Adamu Bala as the running mate to its presidential flag-bearer, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, ahead of the 2027 general election, details on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) candidate nomination portal have shown.
Bala, 51, hails from Bauchi State in northern Nigeria, giving the party a South-North presidential ticket with Makinde at the top of the ballot.
Source: Twitter
A senior APM official, who declined to be named, told newsmen that Makinde had completed the filing of his presidential nomination, which could not be submitted without a running mate attached.
"You cannot submit your presidential nomination without a running mate. The nomination has been filed," the source said.
Bala unconnected to Bauchi governor
The official moved quickly to distance Bala from Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, whose name had circulated in earlier reports linking him to the ticket, Vanguard reported.
The source described any such association as a case of mistaken identity, explaining that the two men share only a similar name.
"There is no connection at all. They only have similar names. The running mate is Ibrahim Adamu Bala, not Bala Mohammed. I laughed when I saw the report because I knew people would confuse the two," the official said.
Governor Bala Mohammed, the source added, is focused on pursuing a Senate seat rather than a vice-presidential bid.
Neither the APM nor Makinde had released a formal statement confirming the running mate selection at the time of filing this report.
Makinde's road to the APM presidential ticket
Makinde, currently in his second and final term as Oyo State governor, publicly declared his presidential ambition on May 14 at a joint rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, co-organised by his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM.
The event coincided with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties at the PDP South-West Zonal Secretariat.
At the rally, Makinde said the alliance intended to field candidates across all elective positions, from presidential down to state assembly seats, and called on opposition forces to consolidate ahead of 2027.
He formally accepted the APM presidential ticket on May 30 in Ibadan, where he outlined his key campaign priorities, including tackling insecurity, unemployment, hunger and the rising cost of living, Punch reported.
He also pledged to restructure Nigeria's security framework, arguing that states should be granted greater authority to manage security challenges within their jurisdictions.
Tinubu announces running mate for 2027
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a formal step towards the 2027 general elections, with the party's National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, officially receiving the completed Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presidential nomination forms for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The handover took place at a ceremony in Abuja, where Hon. Ibrahim Masari, the President's Special Adviser on Political and Other Matters, submitted the forms on Tinubu's behalf.
Source: Legit.ng
