2027: APM Makes Bold Move, Backs Makinde as Tinubu’s Main Challenger

The 2027 presidential race may be taking a dramatic turn as the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) throws its weight behind Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as the opposition’s preferred candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu.

The party made the call on Monday through its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, amid growing efforts by opposition leaders to produce a single presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

According to Yusuf, consultations among opposition parties over a consensus candidate have reached an advanced stage, with the G-100 political pressure group scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday, August 31, to push the initiative forward.

However, ahead of the crucial meeting, the APM has made its position clear: Makinde should emerge as the opposition’s consensus candidate.

Yusuf urged other presidential aspirants to put aside their personal ambitions, insisting that Makinde is the politician best positioned to defeat Tinubu at the polls.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the APM spokesman said the opposition must prioritise the desire for political change over individual interests.

“Without prejudice to the outcome of the consultations, Governor Makinde comes clearer as the best opposition consensus presidential candidate,” Yusuf said.»

He argued that Makinde’s popularity among young Nigerians, professionals and other sections of the electorate, as well as his record as Oyo governor, gives him an advantage over other opposition contenders.

The APM spokesman also appealed to opposition leaders to respect the principle of power rotation, arguing that the South should be allowed to complete another four-year presidential tenure before power returns to the North.

Yusuf further claimed that Makinde has what it takes to tackle Nigeria’s security challenges, revive the economy, create jobs and address the country’s infrastructure deficit.

He acknowledged that the reported reluctance of the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to embrace a single opposition candidate could pose a challenge, but said he could not speak for either politician.

Instead, he called on all opposition stakeholders to sacrifice their personal ambitions and rally behind a single candidate capable of mounting a serious challenge to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

With the August 31 meeting fast approaching, the question now is whether the wider opposition will accept the APM’s choice—or whether the race for the opposition ticket will trigger another major political battle ahead of 2027.