• Says president should stop using backdoor to cause crisis for opposition parties
•Challenges him, other candidates to fitness test for office
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Fidelis David in Akure
Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over its budgetary processes, questioning which budget the federal government is currently implementing, while promising to reset Nigeria through an inclusive economic development agenda if elected president in 2027.
Makinde, who spoke yesterday at the APM Town Hall Meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, also challenged his presidential rivals to demonstrate their physical fitness for the demands of the presidency, insisting that Nigeria needed an energetic leader capable of confronting its mounting economic, security and developmental challenges.
“While I will not make age an issue of this campaign, I will make energy an issue. Having energy, being able to stay up late, withstand the rigours of the office and tackle the challenges that we are faced with as a country,” he said.
In a challenge apparently directed at other presidential contenders, the governor, who jumped down from the podium to show his agility and fitness said, “When they bring their own presidential candidates, let the candidates come here and also jump. If they can do that, vote for them.”
Makinde questioned the federal government’s budget implementation, contrasting it with what he described as improved budget performance in Oyo State since he assumed office.
“Tinubu’s administration right now, we don’t know which budget they are even operating on for Nigeria. Is it the 2023, 2024 or 2026 budget?” he asked.
According to him, Oyo State’s budget performance, which he said stood between 28 and 30 per cent before his administration, had risen to more than 70 per cent under his leadership.
He added that his government had consistently operated its budget from January to December for over seven years, with budgets presented to the state House of Assembly, usually in November or December, and passed before the commencement of the following financial year.
The APM candidate said he and his running mate, Musa Lawal Daura’s proposed Reset Nigeria agenda was designed to build an economy that would benefit the generality of Nigerians rather than a privileged few, arguing that national development must transcend regional interests, political affiliations and the politics of entitlement.
“We want a Nigeria that works for everybody. It is not a Nigeria that works for very few,” he said, rejecting what he described as “turn-by-turn nepotism” in which political leaders prioritise their regions or allies at the expense of national development.
Makinde also defended his decision to contest the presidency despite the South-West producing the incumbent president, citing the 1999 presidential election, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former minister of finance, Oba Olu Falae, both from the region, contested against each other.
“When the entire Nigeria ceded the presidency to the South-West, we had two of our fathers, Baba President Obasanjo and Baba Olu Falae. They contested the presidency, both from the South-West, and heaven did not fall,” he said, adding that the region had presented two capable candidates for Nigerians to choose from.
He said the Reset Nigeria agenda would prioritise infrastructure, education and security, stressing that natural resources alone could not guarantee economic prosperity without investment in skills and knowledge.
He also argued that improved economic conditions would help address the concerns of young people and women while ensuring that no region or demographic group was left behind.
Earlier, the National Chairman of the APM, Yusuf Dantalle, said the party was offering Nigerians an alternative amid rising living costs, insecurity and the difficulties confronting workers and households.
Dantalle questioned why Nigerians continued to bear the burden of high petroleum prices despite the country’s status as a major oil producer.
He also faulted the effectiveness of compulsory SIM card registration in tackling insecurity, arguing that kidnappings and banditry persisted despite the policy.
“It is not about religion, language or party; it is about Nigeria. No one will fix Nigeria for us unless we do it ourselves,” he said, urging Nigerians to take collective responsibility for addressing the country’s challenges.
National Leader of the APM and Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, described Makinde as a presidential candidate with the capacity, pedigree and energy to lead the country, expressing confidence in his ability to deliver the party’s proposed reforms.
“We are not here for a joke. We are focused, determined and resolute, and we must accomplish the mission,” Mohammed said, warning party members against alleged attempts by detractors to infiltrate and destabilise the party.
He further claimed that the reception accorded the campaign in the South-West indicated growing support for Makinde’s presidential ambition, urging party members to intensify mobilisation ahead of the election.