Seyi Makinde, presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has asked the south-west to support his “reset agenda” and elect him in the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the APM south-west town hall meeting held in Akure, Ondo state capital, the Oyo governor asked people in the geopolitical zone to reject any candidate who campaigns on personal interests.
“We say no to a turn-by-turn Nigeria in which someone says ’emi lokan’ — it is my turn to run a nepotistic administration,” he said.
‘Emi lokan’ is a Yoruba phrase which means ‘it is my turn’. President Bola Tinubu popularised the phrase in June 2022.
Tinubu, then an APC presidential aspirant, said it was his turn to become president after he supported former President Muhammadu Buhari. The phrase has since become part of the country’s political parlance.
Makinde also criticised the federal government’s budgetary system, questioning why it is still implementing the 2025 Appropriation Act.
Makinde said if elected president, he would focus on improving security, boosting economic productivity, strengthening infrastructure, and creating a political environment where opposition parties could operate freely.
“The reset Nigeria agenda is about building a country whose infrastructural development will support and drive economic growth, enabling us to address the concerns raised by our youths and women,” he said.
Bala Mohammed, Bauchi state governor and APM national leader, described Makinde as a tested leader with the capacity to address Nigeria’s infrastructure and public service challenges.
Mohammed said the party decided to field Makinde after reviewing his performance at the subnational level.
Lawal Daura, the party’s vice-presidential candidate, warned against alleged attempts by detractors to infiltrate the party and cause division.
He expressed optimism about the campaign’s reception in the south-west, saying the Makinde would work to reduce hardship and improve citizens’ welfare if elected in 2027.
Yusuf Dantelle, APM national chairman, berated the federal government over the cost of living, unemployment and insecurity confronting Nigerians.
Dantelle urged Nigerians to look beyond religion, language and party affiliation while selecting leaders, adding that the country’s potential would remain unrealised without better governance.
