• Accuses Tinubu administration of taxing poverty
•Unveils four-pillar agenda, pledges economic reforms
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Okon Bassey in Uyo
The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has promised to tackle insecurity and militancy in the Niger Delta, revive economic opportunities and reform Nigeria’s tax system.
He also declared that his proposed RESET agenda would address the structural problems undermining the country’s development.
Makinde, who spoke yesterday at the APM Presidential Campaign Organisation’s South-South Town Hall Meeting at Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state, also criticised the federal government’s tax policy, accusing the administration of imposing additional burdens on citizens struggling with poverty rather than creating conditions for increased productivity and wealth generation.
The Oyo State governor said his RESET agenda was designed to rebuild critical sectors of the economy, including education, security, entrepreneurship and governance, while addressing the peculiar challenges confronting the oil-rich South-South region.
“The challenges around here. I understand the issues of pollution. I understand, just as I listened yesterday, when somebody said, ‘This is a rich region, but with poor people,’” Makinde said.
He explained that the central objective of the RESET agenda was to change the country’s development trajectory and ensure that Nigerians benefited more meaningfully from the nation’s resources.
“The RESET agenda is simply to ensure that if Nigeria has not worked well for you as an individual, the way it should, then let us reset Nigeria,” he said.
Makinde identified education as one of the major pillars of his agenda, arguing that a strong educational system and a skilled population were essential to building a thriving middle class and sustaining economic prosperity.
According to him, access to education and skills development would enable young Nigerians to compete for opportunities and contribute to national development.
He cited his personal experience of moving into the South-South region with his academic qualifications and professional skills, saying he was able to secure opportunities despite initially having no established connections in the area.
“I didn’t know anybody when I came to this region, but I came with the skills and my degree from the University of Lagos, and you gave me the opportunity. We want that for every Nigerian, including the youth,” he said.
On security, the APM candidate acknowledged that militancy in the Niger Delta had declined to some extent but insisted that the problem remained unresolved.
He pledged that an APM administration would prioritise reforms to the country’s security architecture and pursue a comprehensive response to militancy and other threats to public safety.
Makinde also called for a shift away from excessive dependence on federal allocations, arguing that states needed to strengthen their internally generated revenue by supporting private enterprise and encouraging entrepreneurship.
He said the government should create an environment in which businesses could grow, employ more people and expand economic activities without being discouraged by excessive taxation.
The governor cited his administration’s experience in Oyo State, claiming that it had increased internally generated revenue without raising taxes on citizens.
“We will ensure that we encourage entrepreneurs. We will ensure that people have tax breaks. And if you ask me whether we have done it before, yes, I did it in Oyo State. We increased Oyo State’s IGR without raising taxes on anybody. The records are there,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the federal government’s tax policy, Makinde argued that taxation should focus on wealth creation and economic capacity rather than deepen the difficulties of low-income households.
“You are supposed to tax wealth. You are not supposed to tax poverty. But they are only interested in taxing poverty,” he said.
He further questioned the implementation of federal policies intended to reduce the cost of living, including the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and the naira-for-crude arrangement.
Makinde challenged the government to publish the pricing framework behind its petroleum pricing policies, arguing that transparency would allow independent experts to assess the figures and recommend ways to reduce the burden on consumers.
“Has it translated into lower transportation costs for millions of Nigerians?” he asked, referring to the government’s economic interventions.
“My question is very simple. Let us assume that we are not even smart. I am not saying we are smart. But provide Nigerians with your pricing template. We have Nigerians who can tell us how to make it work for millions of Nigerians,” he said.
The APM candidate also renewed his criticism of the government over Nigeria LNG dividend payments, alleging that nearly N250 billion due to each state had been withheld.
He maintained that revenue paid into the Federation Account should be distributed among the federal, state and local governments in accordance with the Constitution.
Makinde insisted that the government should disclose the relevant figures and clarify how the dividends had been treated, adding that he stood by his earlier claims.
On the opposition’s prospects ahead of the 2027 general election, Makinde alleged that efforts were being made to prevent opposition parties from uniting.
He expressed confidence that the South-South would support the APM in the forthcoming election, citing his interpretation of voting patterns in the region during the 2023 general election.
Earlier, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, urged Nigerians to look beyond money and age when choosing their leaders, arguing that candidates’ records, experience and capacity to deliver should guide electoral decisions.
Mohammed described Makinde and his running mate, Musa Daura, as leaders with the experience and vision needed to address the country’s challenges.
He said the town hall meeting offered an opportunity for residents of the South-South to assess their region’s economic advantages and consider how effective leadership could translate its resources into improved living standards.
The governor also called for greater engagement between political leaders and citizens, saying the APM’s proposed approach to governance should be driven by consultation, persuasion and public participation.
“We are leading by persuasion. We are leading by stakeholder engagement. We are leading with a spirit of togetherness in a new Nigeria,” Mohammed said.
In his remarks, the APM Vice Presidential candidate, Daura, said the party was determined to break what he described as Nigeria’s recurring cycle of political promises without meaningful progress.
He said the RESET agenda was intended to restore dignity to Nigerians through improvements in education, security, economic opportunities and general welfare.
Daura maintained that Nigerians deserved a standard of living that reflected their country’s potential and resources, adding that the APM’s central philosophy was to place national interest above personal and political considerations.
“APM stands for justice. APM stands for politics without lies. APM is a party that is devoid of deceit. It is a patriotic party, a group of patriots, a group of nationalists, and a group whose main focus is Nigeria,” he said.
The APM national chairman, Mamman Dantelle, also called for a fundamental rethink of the country’s governance model, arguing that persistent insecurity, poverty and inequality reflected deeper structural problems requiring urgent attention.
He said Nigerians continued to face fears of kidnapping and other violent crimes while travelling, visiting markets and carrying out everyday activities.
According to him, addressing insecurity would require tackling the socioeconomic conditions that contribute to criminality, including poverty, inequality, deprivation and hopelessness.
Dantelle argued that Nigeria could not continue with the same policies and expect different outcomes, insisting that the country needed a new direction capable of restoring public confidence and national pride.