Precious Nwonu, Enugu
Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has defended his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election against an incumbent from the South-West, arguing that the region can field more than one candidate without compromising its interests.
Makinde spoke on Thursday at the APM’s South-West town hall meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, where he recalled the 1999 presidential election, which featured two prominent candidates from the region.
The governor said some people had questioned his decision to enter the race because President Bola Tinubu, who is also from the South-West, currently occupies the office.
“I’ve listened to people. They said to us, ‘Seyi Makinde, why are you contesting in this election when the South-West already has somebody seated on that seat?’ And I’ve explained to them, we do have an example here in the South-West,” he said.
Makinde cited the 1999 election, in which former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae contested the presidency, noting that the region’s decision to produce two candidates did not result in any disaster.
He argued that the arrangement gave Nigerians the opportunity to choose between two candidates from the same region.
“And heaven did not fall. As a matter of fact, what the South-West did was to present two of their finest, two of their best for Nigeria to choose from. Is there anything wrong with that this time around?” he asked.
The governor also urged voters in the region to reject what he described as deceptive politics, saying he would campaign on his record in Oyo State rather than rely solely on criticism of political opponents.
Makinde also criticised the Federal Government over a reported presentation of the United Nations budget to the President in Nigeria by the country’s permanent representatives to the UN.
He questioned the justification for spending public funds on travel from New York to Abuja for the exercise.
The governor further raised concerns about budget implementation, asking which fiscal year’s budget was being implemented.
“Is it 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 budgets?” he asked.
On the campaign, Makinde said he would focus on energy and physical stamina rather than make age a central issue in the presidential contest.
“While I will not make age an issue of this campaign, I will make energy. Having energy. Being able to stay up late, have the rigours, have the energy to deal with the challenges that we are faced with as a country,” he said.
He challenged rival presidential candidates to demonstrate their physical fitness during the campaign, suggesting that voters should consider their ability to withstand the demands of the race.
“So please, when they bring their own presidential candidates, let the candidates come here and also jump down. If they can do that, vote for them,” Makinde added.
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