From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has urged Nigerians to reject politics of deceit and embrace honest, inclusive and result-oriented leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makinde made the call on Thursday at the APM South-West town hall meeting held at The Dome, Akure, Ondo State.
He said Nigeria needs a fundamental change in its political and governance systems to address economic hardship, insecurity, poverty and infrastructural deficits.
The governor, who described himself as a reset agent, urged political leaders to focus on presenting workable solutions to national challenges rather than engaging in political attacks and deception.
Makinde said his proposed Reset Nigeria agenda would focus on four major areas, including education, security, economic productivity and socio-political environment.
He explained that the agenda was designed to build a productive economy that would create opportunities for Nigerians, reduce poverty and ensure that no region or demographic group was left behind.
“We want a Nigeria that works for everybody. It is not a Nigeria that works for very few. We don’t want turn-by-turn nepotism or a situation where projects are concentrated in a particular zone because it is somebody’s turn,” he said.
The APM candidate called for a shift from dependence on federal allocations to a productive economy capable of generating multiple revenue streams and creating sustainable prosperity.
Makinde said national development should be driven by projects capable of strengthening the economy and improving the livelihoods of citizens.
He also stressed the need to reform the education system to equip Nigerians with the skills and knowledge required for economic prosperity.
He called for a review of the country’s security architecture to ensure that economic activities could continue without being disrupted by insecurity.
The governor criticised what he described as attempts to undermine opposition parties, insisting that democracy could not thrive without a level playing field for all political actors.
“You have 31 governors and you are still afraid. Why using backdoor to cause problems for the opposition?” he said.