2027: Makinde visits South-east, speaks on Peter Obi, Igbo’s votes

The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has appealed to the people of the South-east to reject all visions across tribal lines and desist from voting with ethnic and religious sentiments in 2027.

He said Igbos should not be influenced by ethnic and religious sentiments during the forthcoming election because Peter Obi comes from the South-east.

Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Mr Makinde spoke during the South-east APM Town hall meeting in Enugu on Thursday.

The APM candidate said he decided to visit the South-east to deliver a message of his Reset Agenda for Nigeria despite his initial discouragement of visiting the region because Mr Obi comes from there.

“When we were coming here, we were almost discouraged because this is the zone of my friend and brother, Peter Obi and the South-east is totally for him,” he said.

The Oyo governor then urged Igbos to remove unhealthy sentiments during the forthcoming general election.

“My message to you today is: reject all visions across either religious or ethnic lines.

“The challenges we are faced with do not know religion, do not know ethnicity,” he said.

Mr Makinde explained that despite criticism from his opponents he had delayed releasing his campaign manifesto until he had concluded his town hall meetings across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

He said the town hall meetings afforded him the opportunity of listening to the people and knowing their needs in order to craft the manifesto in line with the yearnings of Nigerians.

“So, this is the last of the town hall meetings. Over this weekend we will be walking around the clock with our team to get our manifesto ready and it will be launched on the 4th of November 2026,” he declared.

Mr Makinde said his Reset Agenda for Nigeria has four major pillars built on economy, security, education and socio-polity.

The APM candidate said he would serve with sincerity which he argued has the capacity to solve at least 30 per cent of Nigeria’s problems.

“So, we will ensure that we bridge the trust deficit between the leaders and the citizens,” he said, stressing that he did similar things in Oyo State.

He also promised to train youths on skills to boost job creation and reduce the country’s unemployment rate.

“The job of the government is to create an atmosphere conducive for businesses to thrive and that is exactly what we will do,” he assured.

Earlier, the South-east Coordinator of the Makinde-Duara Presidential Campaign Organisation, Okechukwu Obiechina, said Nigeria has been going through difficult moments for several years due to bad leadership.

Mr Obiechina, however, expressed confidence that Mr Makinde would rescue the country if elected president.

“People are finding it difficult to eat three square meals a day, they’re finding it to fuel their vehicles or even pay school fees for their children.

“His Reset Agenda will reset Nigeria. For him, there’s no sacrifice that is too much to be paid for Nigeria,” he said.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the APM, Yusuf Dantalle, claimed President Bola Tinubu had failed to deliver on his promises to salvage Nigeria since his election in 2023.

Mr Dantalle stressed that Mr Makinde was well qualified to succeed Mr Tinubu to complete the turn of Southern Nigeria.

The national chairman also said Mr Tinubu was too old to govern Nigeria and then urged South-easterners to support 58-year-old Mr Makinde because he represents the youth population.

“Today, we are calling on President Tinubu to support a new direction and step aside from the 2027 race to allow Makinde complete the remaining four years of the Southern term,” he said.

On his part, the APM’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, said the party was determined to tackle Nigeria’s challenges through its 16-point agenda.

Mr Daura stressed that the party was committed to reforming the system for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“We are Resetters, volunteers, and we are here to sacrifice for the good of the nation. We are serious about this mission. We are not here to joke, to steal or to lie,” he said.