The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential campaign organisation to demonstrate its national political strength after predicting that the governor would defeat President Bola Tinubu in 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory in the January 2027 election.
Key Highlights
- Makinde’s campaign says he will beat Tinubu in 12 states and the FCT in 2027.
- States listed include Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Kaduna, Delta and Oyo.
- Lagos APC spokesman Seye Oladejo dismisses the claim as “imaginary victories.”
- Oladejo questions Makinde’s national structure and points to rifts in his Oyo camp.
- The APC says it will campaign on Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
The APC dismissed the projection as an unsupported electoral forecast, questioning the campaign organisation’s ability to build a nationwide political structure capable of challenging the incumbent president.
Makinde Camp’s 12-State Claim
The exchange followed a statement by the Seyi Makinde Campaign Organisation, which said its candidate, running on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), would defeat Tinubu in states expected to feature prominently in the president’s campaign visits.
In a statement signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the organisation identified Oyo, Kaduna, Rivers, Plateau, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos as states where it expects Makinde to defeat Tinubu.
It attributed the president’s alleged declining electoral prospects to economic hardship and what it described as the administration’s failure to address Nigeria’s challenges.
However, the campaign organisation did not provide polling data or other empirical evidence to substantiate its prediction.
‘Imaginary Victories’
Reacting on Sunday, the Lagos APC spokesman, Seye Oladejo, accused Makinde and his campaign team of confusing participation in an election with the prospect of winning it.
“Governor Makinde and his campaign team appear to have mistaken the privilege of participating in an election for the guarantee of victory,” Oladejo said.
He urged the governor to concentrate on consolidating his political support base rather than projecting victories across states without demonstrating the strength of his national political machinery.
“We advise Governor Makinde to spend less time counting imaginary victories in 12 states and more time examining the political turbulence around him,” he added.
Using an Olympic analogy, Oladejo said participation in a competition did not automatically translate into winning a medal, arguing that the same principle applied to presidential elections.
He questioned the depth of Makinde’s support outside Oyo State, the reach of his political network and his campaign organisation’s capacity to assemble a coalition capable of competing nationally.
According to him, a successful presidential campaign requires nationwide structures, organisational discipline, voter mobilisation and alliances that extend beyond a candidate’s immediate political stronghold.
“These are questions that cannot be answered by press statements, campaign slogans or inflated projections,” he said.
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Rifts in Makinde’s Camp
The APC spokesman also pointed to disagreements within Makinde’s political camp in Oyo State, arguing that the governor should resolve political tensions around him before making projections about winning states across the country.
He said the durability of a national coalition depended on trust, shared interests, strategic discipline and a common political vision, adding that disagreements with former allies could raise questions about the strength of broader alliances.
Oladejo further argued that listing states in which a candidate expects to win does not establish the electoral support needed to secure victory.
APC Defends Tinubu
Defending Tinubu’s political credentials, the APC spokesman cited the President’s years of political experience, national networks and record of coalition-building, which he said should not be dismissed by opposition figures.
He also said the APC intended to campaign on the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda, including economic reforms, infrastructure development and institutional strengthening.
Oladejo challenged Makinde’s campaign organisation to explain what its candidate would offer Nigerians beyond announcing the states it expected to win.
“Makinde’s declaration, therefore, sounds less like a carefully reasoned electoral forecast and more like an attempt to manufacture momentum through headline-grabbing bravado,” he said.
The Lagos APC chapter maintained that it remained confident in Tinubu’s prospects in the 2027 election and urged Makinde to focus on political challenges within his camp.
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