A four-year administration would be enough to carry out his proposed plans for Nigeria, the Allied People’s Movement presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has said.
The Oyo State governor made the assertion on Monday at an APM North-Central town hall meeting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where he presented his vision for the country ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde said his proposed national programme would concentrate on security, education, economic management and reforms to the country’s socio-political system.
He argued that the country could record substantial changes within a single term if those in government approached the task with proper preparation and determination.
He stated, “Please listen to me and listen very carefully. We are prepared to tackle the challenges faced by this country through our reset agenda. I am a reseter. Yes, together we shall reset this country.
“The reset agenda can be completed in four years. After all, we had someone who was head of state in this country for 10 months, and he was able to end military rule and usher in the democracy that we now enjoy in Nigeria.
“So, we can reset this country and give Nigeria a new security architecture, reset and give Nigeria a new path for education, reset our economy utilising data, science and logic, and reset our socio-political environment in four years. That is our agenda.
“So, as your President from May 29, 2027, we will run a transitional government of national unity that will culminate in new players and a new agenda for Nigeria’s sustainable development.”
Speaking on the preparation of Oyo’s 2027 budget, Makinde said his government had begun seeking input from residents in different parts of the state.
He said the consultations were aimed at determining what communities consider their most pressing needs, adding that the approach had been used by his administration for seven years.
The governor also raised questions about the Federal Government’s financial preparation for the expansion of army divisions.
According to him, security measures of such magnitude should be backed by detailed planning and corresponding budgetary provisions.
He stated, “But at the federal level, yes, insecurity is a big issue, especially here in the North-Central zone of Nigeria. They (APC-led Federal Government) expanded army divisions to 12. I was looking at the budget for 2026. I was looking for the item in that budget relating to the expansion of those army divisions. I did not see it.
“If they have it in the budget that they prepared for 2026, let them bring it out. So, you cannot just wake up and say, well, without any plan, I am setting up or expanding army divisions to tackle insecurity. There has to be a lot of planning that will go into this.”
On Oyo’s finances, Makinde said the state had made efforts to reduce its dependence on federal transfers since he became governor.
He claimed that the state relied on federal allocation for more than 80 per cent of its finances in 2019, before the figure fell to 65 per cent three years later.
According to him, the proportion has subsequently moved upwards again, which he linked to the economic policies of the APC-led administration.
He added, “Yes, they claim we have more money, that is, the state governments. The state governments were collecting more money from the Federation Account. I am not arguing with that.
“Yes, in terms of the totality of the money, yes, we have more money, but has it translated to fighting hunger in our society? The answer is no.
“For us in Oyo State, when I came in in 2019, the state’s dependence on federal allocation was about 80-plus per cent. We worked really hard to bring it down. And you can go check the data.
“By 2022, we had gone down to 65 per cent in terms of our dependence on federal allocation.
“Then, by 2023, when they came on board with their voodoo economy, the resultant effect is that today, Oyo State is back to almost 80 per cent dependence on federal allocation. That is their voodoo economy.”
The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, said the APM intended to make poverty reduction and improved security central to its proposed administration.
He said the party would also seek to change the way politics and governance were conducted, with emphasis on what he described as sincerity, dedication and accountability.
Daura stated: “Now, looking at the number of people here, and of course, the background of all those gathered here, there is no doubt that Nigerians are yearning for a change, a change for the better and a tremendous improvement for our great nation.
“When the national chairman was making his remarks, he mentioned so many things, including insecurity and other issues bedevilling the nation, such as poverty and the rest of it.
“We don’t need to say that, for quite some time, people have been allowed to rule this nation without really having an idea of how to fix it.
“I need to borrow a common phrase: it is always motion without movement. Ours is going to be motion with movement for the betterment of Nigerians and Nigeria.
“We are Nigerians. We have suffered enough. At least for now, we need to have a change for the better. And that is why, when His Excellency, Seyi Makinde, came up with the idea of resetting Nigeria, some of us quickly bought into that idea, because without resetting Nigeria, how do you expect most of the things that have been done in the past to help?”
Daura said the party wanted Nigerians to experience measurable improvements rather than simply hear promises from politicians.
He continued, “We want to see a positive change that can be authentically pointed out. Therefore, we want to be very, very serious, and we want to be taken seriously.
“Enough, as I used to say, is enough. Nigerians have paid their dues. Nigerians have given tremendous support to various governments, but Nigerians have not gotten a fair deal because poverty, insecurity, and so many other social ills have continued to bedevil the nation by the day.
“We are result-oriented. We are focused on getting results to the extent that Nigerians will see and feel them. That is why we’re here. And, by the special grace of God, we are going to deliver.
“So, please spread the awareness that, come 2027, Nigerians should be ready to usher in a new government under Engineer Seyi Makinde.”
APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, said the North-Central occupies an important position in discussions about Nigeria’s future.
He pointed to insecurity, rising fuel costs and unreliable electricity as some of the issues requiring attention, while urging citizens to demand explanations from government over promises made on electricity.
The comments by Makinde come amid a broader conversation among presidential contenders about how long they would need to implement their programmes.
Peter Obi, who is contesting the presidency under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has said his first four years would be focused on establishing the foundation for a better Nigeria.
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and a former vice-president, has not disclosed a specific timeframe for his proposed administration.
President Bola Tinubu, the APC candidate, is seeking another term in office after beginning his presidency in 2023. A successful re-election bid would give him a further four years.
The question of presidential tenure has also featured in discussions surrounding Nigeria’s informal power-sharing arrangement between the northern and southern regions.
Buhari, who preceded Tinubu and came from the North, served the constitutionally permitted two terms, leaving office after eight years.
Some proponents of the rotation arrangement have argued that the southern region should likewise complete an eight-year presidential tenure.
