Makinde Can Reset Nigeria in 4 Years and Represent South Better, Says APM's Adeoye
- Prince Laja Adeoye, APM's 2027 Lagos governorship candidate, backed Seyi Makinde as the party's presidential candidate during a television appearance on Sunday, October 4
- Adeoye argued that Makinde's four-year reset plan would deliver progress in infrastructure, economy, education, healthcare, and social services
- Adeoye dismissed claims that Makinde entered the race to split Tinubu's votes, saying the governor has been travelling all six geopolitical zones to canvass support
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Lagos, Nigeria - Prince Laja Adeoye, the Allied People's Movement (APM) candidate for the 2027 Lagos state governorship election, has said Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who is the party's presidential candidate, has the capacity to transform Nigeria within a single four-year term.
Adeoye made the remarks on a television programme on Sunday, October 4, arguing that Makinde's planned administration would deliver measurable change across infrastructure, the economy, education, healthcare, and social services.
Source: Twitter
Why Adeoye Says the South Needs Makinde
Central to Adeoye's argument was Nigeria's unwritten tradition of rotating the presidency between the North and the South. He said that although President Bola Tinubu represents the South in the current rotation, many southerners feel the region has not fully benefited from his administration.
"What we are seeing today is not what we expected from a government that is supposed to represent the interests of our region. That is why Governor Makinde is telling Nigerians that, under his leadership, Nigeria can be reset within four years," Adeoye said.
He added that the four-year window would allow sufficient time to record lasting gains before the presidency rotated back to the North under the same rotational principle.
On fuel pricing, Adeoye said Makinde was not calling for the return of petrol subsidies but wanted Nigerians to get more value from the country's crude oil before it reached the international market.
"If crude oil is produced in Nigeria, Nigerians should not have to buy petroleum products as though the crude has travelled around the world before returning to the country," he said, adding that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) should take a stronger role in safeguarding citizens' interests.
Adeoye Dismisses Spoiler Claims Against Makinde
Adeoye rejected suggestions that Makinde entered the presidential race only to reduce President Tinubu's vote share in the South-West, saying the governor is serious about winning. He pointed to Makinde's own story of persisting through doubt to become governor of Oyo State as evidence of his character.
"He is moving across the six geopolitical zones, listening to the people, understanding their concerns and allowing them to participate in the political process. Someone who is not serious about winning an election would not undertake this level of engagement," Adeoye said.
He also praised Makinde's handling of a kidnapping incident involving schoolchildren in Oyo State, saying the governor convened meetings with security agencies, deployed resources, and remained personally invested in the outcome.
On his own Lagos ambitions, Adeoye said an APM state government would target housing, food security, education, and infrastructure, with a specific goal of making Lagos one of Nigeria's three best-performing states in public examinations such as WAEC and NECO within four years. He also proposed constitutional recognition of Lagos's Local Council Development Areas as full local governments to bring services closer to residents.
Makinde Proposes New Route to Cheaper Petrol
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Makinde ruled out any return to the petrol subsidy regime, instead calling for a new framework under which Nigerians would benefit directly from the country's crude oil through cheaper domestic supply to refineries.
He made the remarks on Monday, September 7, 2026, during the inauguration of the APM's presidential campaign headquarters in Abuja, where he was careful to separate his proposal from a subsidy restoration.
Source: Legit.ng
