Makinde Lists 4 Reasons He is Challenging Tinubu in 2027 Election
- Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, now the APM presidential candidate, explained why he decided to run against President Tinubu in 2027
- Makinde said he backed Tinubu in 2023 but now has four major concerns about how the administration has governed Nigeria
- The governor pointed to economic hardship, weak opposition parties, and poor preparation before the petrol subsidy removal as key issues
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Ibadan, Oyo State - Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has broken down the reasons behind his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election against President Bola Tinubu, three years after supporting his emergence in 2023.
Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), made the case in a newsletter published on Thursday, November 12. He said the move was not about personal rivalry with Tinubu or a desire to occupy Aso Rock, but about what he believes is at stake for Nigeria's future.
Source: UGC
The governor recalled that he backed Tinubu in 2023 because he believed the president's political experience and relationships could help unite Nigerians and build a government centred on competence.
He stated:
"I believed he could use that ability to establish a government of national unity and competence, focused on improving the lives of Nigerians."
Why Makinde turned against Tinubu
Makinde's first concern was what he called "economic stability without economic development." He acknowledged some improvement in macroeconomic figures but said those gains had not reached ordinary Nigerians. He argued that hardship and development do not have to follow each other in sequence, adding that citizens should not have been made to suffer while waiting for results.
His second concern was the administration's pattern of citing inherited problems.
"Every government inherits problems, but it is elected to solve them," he said, arguing that over three years in, Nigerians should be seeing measurable progress on poverty, insecurity, and electricity rather than further explanations.
On national unity, Makinde said he had expected Tinubu's alliance-building skills to produce a broadly capable government. Instead, he said those alliances appeared to serve political rather than national interests. He also raised alarm over what he described as the weakening of opposition parties, which he said are essential to a functioning democracy.
His fourth concern was the removal of the petrol subsidy and foreign exchange reforms, which he said lacked adequate measures to protect citizens from the resulting hardship. He pointed out that Tinubu had himself opposed a similar abrupt removal under former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 and was therefore aware of the consequences.
Source: Facebook
What Makinde says he'd have done differently
Makinde said he would have used the presidential transition period to coordinate with state governors through the National Economic Council and prepare support systems before implementing the subsidy removal.
He pointed to Oyo State's response as a model, noting that within 11 days of the subsidy removal, his administration deployed additional Omituntun buses, kept existing fares in place, and introduced half-price travel for students and senior citizens. The state later launched the SAfER programme in August 2023, delivering food relief to 200,000 vulnerable households alongside transport and business support.
Makinde, who declared his presidential ambition on May 14, 2026, urged Nigerians to scrutinise his record and his proposed Reset Nigeria Agenda rather than trust him on faith alone.
"I am not asking you to trust me blindly. I am asking you to examine what I am proposing and decide whether it offers a credible path towards the Nigeria we all deserve," he said.
Read more on Seyi Makinde
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- PDP vs APC: Seyi Makinde addresses defection after meeting President Bola Tinubu
ChatGPT predicts winner of 2027 election
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ChatGPT predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would likely win Nigeria's 2027 presidential election, using the Four Horsemen framework.
It cited the opposition coalition but said the APC had the edge due to possible low voter turnout and the Tinubu administration's efforts to stabilise the economy.
Source: Legit.ng
