Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has defended his decision to run for president in 2027 despite President Bola Tinubu, the incumbent, also coming from the South-West.
Makinde said the region could field more than one presidential candidate without compromising its political interests, citing the 1999 presidential election as an example.
He spoke on Thursday at the APM South-West town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, where he addressed criticism over his decision to enter the presidential race.
According to the governor, some people had questioned the rationale for his ambition, given that the South-West already had a president in office.
“I’ve listened to people. They said to us, ‘Seyi Makinde, why are you contesting in this election when the South-West already has somebody seated on that seat?’” he said.
Makinde argued that the region had previously produced two presidential candidates during the 1999 election without any negative consequences.
He recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae both contested the presidency in that election.
“And heaven did not fall. As a matter of fact, what the South-West did was to present two of their finest, two of their best for Nigeria to choose from. Is there anything wrong with that this time around?” he asked.
The governor also urged voters to reject what he described as the politics of deceit, saying he would rather present his record in Oyo State than focus solely on attacking political opponents.
Makinde also criticised the Federal Government over the reported presentation of the United Nations budget to President Tinubu in Nigeria by the country’s permanent representatives to the UN.
He questioned the use of public funds for the trip from New York to Abuja and raised concerns about the implementation of the government’s budgets.
“Is it 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 budgets?” he asked.
On the question of age in the presidential race, Makinde said he would focus on candidates’ energy and capacity to handle the demands of the office rather than make age a campaign issue.
“While I will not make age an issue of this campaign, I will make energy. Having energy. Being able to stay up late, have the rigours, have the energy to deal with the challenges that we are faced with as a country,” he said.
He also challenged rival presidential candidates to demonstrate their physical stamina during the campaign.
“So please, when they bring their own presidential candidates, let the candidates come here and also jump down. If they can do that, vote for them,” Makinde said.