Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, calling on opposition parties to unite and “reset Nigeria” amid growing economic hardship, insecurity and political uncertainty.
Makinde made the declaration at a Unity Mega Rally held at the historic Mapo Hall in Ibadan, where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) also unveiled a political alliance ahead of the next general elections.
The governor said the coalition marked the beginning of a broader opposition movement aimed at preventing Nigeria from sliding into what he described as a one-party state.
Addressing a large crowd of party supporters and political stakeholders, Makinde warned that the country’s democratic system was under threat if opposition parties failed to work together.
“Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. Where is our multi-party system? Where do we go from here?” he asked.
The governor lamented the worsening economic situation and security challenges across the country, saying many Nigerians were now struggling merely to survive.
“We have been pushed to the wall. The calculated self-opposition cannot unite, but I am here to say the opposition is the everyday Nigerian. This is the time to engage as citizens, not spectators,” he said.
Makinde urged opposition leaders to set aside their differences and build a united political front capable of offering Nigerians an alternative direction.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite and work together in unity to give our nation the reset it needs. The time to reset Nigeria is now,” he declared.
Declaring his presidential ambition, the governor described Ibadan as the “city of warriors” and said the PDP-APM alliance represented a new political movement that would contest all elective offices in 2027.
“And so, I declare my candidacy for the office of the President of Nigeria,” Makinde announced to loud cheers from supporters at the rally.
Earlier, leaders of both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the PDP Secretariat, Adagunodo House, Ibadan, formally sealing the alliance.
Speaking at the event, Oyo State PDP Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, described the gathering as historic and expressed confidence that the coalition would strengthen the opposition ahead of the elections.
Leaders of the APM, including the party’s National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Naman Dantale, and National Secretary, Ayodele Oyadeyi, also called for urgent political reforms, citing insecurity, economic hardship and declining access to quality healthcare and education as major concerns facing Nigerians.
