Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has said Nigeria can be reset within four years if he is elected president in the 2027 general election.
Makinde made the declaration on Monday at the APM North-Central Town Hall Meeting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where he outlined his proposed approach to security, education, the economy and governance. The Lafia meeting is part of the APM’s zonal town hall engagements ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Key Highlights
- Seyi Makinde says Nigeria can be reset within four years if elected president.
- He promises reforms in security, education, the economy and the socio-political system.
- Makinde proposes a transitional government of national unity from May 29, 2027.
- He questions the Federal Government’s funding and planning for additional Army divisions.
- The governor says increased federal allocations to states have not sufficiently addressed hunger.
- Makinde says Oyo State’s dependence on federal allocations had fallen before the removal of fuel subsidy.
Makinde Outlines Four-Year Reset Plan
The governor said his proposed administration would overhaul Nigeria’s security architecture, reform the education sector, revive the economy and address challenges in the country’s socio-political system.
He said the reforms would be driven by data, science and logic.
“The reset agenda can be concluded in four years. 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 we now enjoy in Nigeria.
“We can reset and give Nigeria a new security architecture, a new path for education, our economy utilising data, science and logic, and our socio-political environment in four years,” Makinde said.
The APM presidential candidate said that if elected president, his administration would begin on May 29, 2027, with a transitional government of national unity.
“So, as your president from May 29, 2027, we will run a transitional government of national unity that will culminate in new players and an agenda for Nigeria’s sustainable development,” he said.
Makinde Questions Funding for Army Divisions
Makinde also criticised the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, particularly in the North-Central region.
He questioned the planning and funding behind the establishment of additional Army divisions, saying he could not find corresponding provisions for the initiative in the 2026 budget.
“Midway into 2026, insecurity is a big issue, especially in the North-Central zone. They set up army divisions, and I was looking at the 2026 budget. For the item relating to the setting up of those army divisions, I did not see it.
“If they have it in the budget they prepared for 2026, they should bring it up,” he said.
The governor said addressing insecurity required proper planning and adequate budgetary provisions rather than decisions made without sufficient financial backing.
Read also:
- Clean Sweep In Enugu And Yobe: How APC Just Turned LG Polls Into A 2027 Warning
- 2027: Deji Adeyanju Accuses Obi, Kwankwaso of Working for Tinubu
- I Was Misled Defending Obi Over Anambra Debt Claims — Okonkwo
- Ajaero: Nigeria Has No Development Plan, Energy, Food Policies 66 Years After Independence
Makinde Questions Impact of Increased State Allocations
Makinde also questioned whether increased allocations to state governments had translated into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
According to him, the increase in federal allocations to states had not sufficiently addressed hunger and other economic challenges confronting citizens.
“Yes, they claim the state government has more money from the federation account. I’m not arguing that we have more money, but has it translated to fighting hunger in our society? The answer is no,” he said.
Governor Speaks on Oyo State’s Federal Allocation Dependence
Speaking about Oyo State’s finances, Makinde said the state’s dependence on federal allocations had reduced after he assumed office in 2019.
He said the dependence fell from more than 80 per cent to about 65 per cent by 2022 before the removal of the fuel subsidy reversed some of the gains.
“When I came in as Oyo State governor in 2019, the state’s dependence on federal allocation was 80+ per cent; we worked really hard to bring it down to about 65 per cent in 2022, then came the statement ‘subsidy is gone’… the result is that today, Oyo State is back to almost 80 per cent dependent on federal allocation.
“That is their voodoo economics,” he said.
Makinde’s appearance in Lafia forms part of the APM’s wider series of zonal town hall meetings ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The campaign has said the engagements are intended to discuss national issues with citizens and stakeholders across the country’s six geopolitical zones. For more political updates, follow us on X.
