Makinde-Daura movement promises issue-based campaign, Lagos reset

The Alliance for Progressive Movement (APM) and its allies have launched the Makinde-Daura (MAD) Resetter Agenda in Lagos, promising an issue-based campaign and a political reset of Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The agenda was launched on Saturday, with the party’s Lagos State governorship candidate, Laja Adeoye, and local government chairmen declaring support for the proposed presidential ticket of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Lawal Daura, as well as other candidates of the party and its alliance.

In a video address, Makinde, the APM presidential candidate, said Nigeria needed to reset its economy, educational system, security architecture and socio-political environment to improve the lives of its citizens.

He urged Nigerians dissatisfied with the state of the country to join the movement, arguing that economic indicators such as rising foreign reserves meant little if citizens continued to experience hunger and hardship. He likened the situation to a household whose head boasts of substantial savings while members of the family remain hungry and unable to pursue their aspirations.

“That is the reset agenda,” he said, urging the movement to extend its campaign beyond Lagos and the South-West to other geopolitical zones.

The Director-General of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, Hon. Hassan Felix, said Nigeria needed a change of direction, citing unemployment, insecurity and economic hardship. He questioned claims that government’s economic policies were improving living conditions, arguing that persistent hardship and the departure of companies from the country contradicted such claims. He also compared Nigeria’s economic fortunes with those of Ghana, saying Nigeria had failed to translate its abundant resources into prosperity.

“We want to go back to a nation of prosperity. They are deceiving Nigerians, but the time of deceit is over. It is time for a reset, and that time is now,” he said.

The Director of Volunteers, Support and Special Interest Groups of the MAD Political Campaign Organisation, Dr Emmanuel Dennis, said the movement intended to move electioneering beyond rallies and entertainment to substantive discussions on the country’s economic and governance challenges. He said rising petrol prices, worsening hardship and stagnant salaries had made it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to provide for their families.

He also criticised the National Assembly, describing it as a rubber stamp, and expressed concern that court decisions had increasingly determined electoral outcomes instead of voters’ choices.

“We know campaign has started, but we don’t want to have a campaign that people would dance and then go home. We want to make our campaign issue-based,” he said.

Questioning Nigeria’s continued description as the giant of Africa, Dennis argued that the country’s economic and political conditions demanded fundamental change.

“We are not coming to rescue and we are not trying to rescue, but we want to reset Nigeria. And if we must reset Nigeria, you have to follow the person that knows the road. Follow MAD to reset Nigeria,” he said.

He urged supporters to work towards a political reset in Lagos as well as at the national level, saying the movement had fielded candidates in the state to pursue that objective.

Adeoye promised an inclusive government that would cater for all residents, irrespective of gender or social background.

“We are gender-sensitive in APM. We are bringing a Lagos that will take care of everybody and not exclude anyone,” he said.

The governorship candidate expressed confidence that the party would win the election, attributing its prospects to grassroots mobilisation. He urged voters to resist vote-buying, describing their permanent voter cards (PVCs) as instruments of political power.

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“Your PVC is the instrument in your hands. That is your power. If truly you are tired of bad governance, don’t collect money from them. Don’t let them bribe you because what they would give you won’t last you a day,” he said.

He pledged that an APM-led government would be accountable to the electorate rather than political godfathers. He described the incumbent government as one serving a select few and called on voters to support the party’s reset agenda.

Meanwhile, local government chairmen endorsed the Makinde-Daura presidential ticket, Adeoye’s governorship candidacy and the party’s senatorial, House of Representatives and other candidates.

Speaking on their behalf, Hon. Isiaka Sodeinde reaffirmed their commitment to the reset agenda and declared support for the APM-PDP alliance. He expressed confidence that the alliance’s candidates would emerge victorious in the election.