Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has defended his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election against President Bola Tinubu, despite both politicians coming from the South-West.
Drivetvnews gathered that Makinde argued that the region could produce more than one presidential candidate without undermining its political interests, citing the 1999 presidential election as an example.
He spoke on Thursday during the APM South-West town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, where he responded to criticism of his presidential ambition.
The governor said some people had questioned why he wanted to contest the presidency when the South-West already had an incumbent president.
“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?’” he said.
In response, Makinde recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae contested the 1999 presidential election, arguing that their participation did not bring any disaster to the 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 APM candidate also urged Nigerians to reject what he described as deceptive politics, saying he would rather campaign on the achievements recorded by his administration in Oyo State than focus on attacking political opponents.
Makinde further criticised the Federal Government over reports that Nigeria’s budget to the United Nations was presented to President Tinubu in the country by Nigeria’s permanent representatives to the international organisation.
He questioned the use of public funds for the trip from New York to Abuja and raised concerns about the implementation of government budgets.
“Is it 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 budgets?” he asked.
Addressing the issue of age in the presidential race, Makinde said he would not make age a major campaign issue but would instead focus on the energy and physical capacity required to handle the demands of the presidency.
“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 also challenged rival presidential candidates to demonstrate their physical stamina during the campaign.
“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 said.
