Politics
Makinde Positions APM for 2027 Presidency After Six-Zone Engagement with Nigerians
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
The journey across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones for townhall meetings, which commenced in Katsina, in the North-Western part of the country, on Tuesday, September 22, ended in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, on October 29, 2026, with the Allied People’s Movement (APM) presidential candidate and Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, leading the exercise.
The over one-month engagement, preparatory to the commencement of real political campaigns and activities, was undertaken by the Engr. Seyi Makinde-led APM to educate Nigerians on the need to genuinely ‘Reset Nigeria’ away from the current gimmicks.
From the North-West, the campaign townhall train moved to the North-Central, with Lafia, Nasarawa State, taking the second position, while the North-East, with Yola, Adamawa State, played host after the visit to the North-Central.
The townhall meetings also moved to Uyo, in the South-South geopolitical zone, and later to Akure, the home base of the South-West townhall meeting, being the region where the presidential candidate hails from.
Makinde used the opportunity during the visits to meet party stakeholders, supporters, reset agents, volunteers and candidates, who have changed the narrative of opposition politics and sent shivers down the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Coming from the South-Western part of the country, the political stronghold of Nigeria’s current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the exercise is expected to be keenly contested, considering the political variables.
Governor Seyi Makinde’s townhall meetings were issue-based, aimed at inculcating in Nigerians the need to sustain the legacies of the country’s political forefathers, which he said had been bastardised by the present administration since the First Republic and the inception of independence.
While stressing the need to change the tide of activities and style of governance under the current dispensation, Engr. Seyi Makinde was received by people from all walks of life across the country.
He emphasised the need to develop the potentials of each geopolitical zone he visited during the townhall meetings.
He also used the opportunity to explain the “Reset Nigeria Agenda” to Nigerians and expressed regrets over government policies and programmes under the current administration.
According to the APM presidential candidate, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the “Reset Nigeria Agenda” consists of four pillars that will guide and shape his administration’s campaign template when elected in January 2027.
While promising to ‘Reset Nigeria’ in the area of education to address the ‘out-of-school children’ dilemma, Makinde also pledged to create genuine entrepreneurship programmes to accommodate both skilled and unskilled Nigerians who are not engaged in white-collar jobs.
Makinde further promised to develop a new security architecture for the country, alongside resetting the socio-political and economic environment to promote the expansion of all sectors of the economy.
While frowning against the operation of the federal system of government, which he said had moved away from the previous unitary system of government, Engr. Seyi Makinde of the APM promised a robust new system that would strengthen federalism and address its current abuse.
The novel idea of engaging the entire nation through townhall meetings across the six geopolitical zones has given Engr. Seyi Makinde’s APM an edge in the race for the forthcoming presidential election.
The party believes it has distinguished itself by becoming the first among the presidential candidates to engage Nigerians across the country while promising immediate solutions and succour within the shortest possible time.
With plans to unveil its manifesto going forward, Engr. Seyi Makinde of the APM has moved ahead of other political parties and their presidential candidates by first visiting the entire country.
Written by ABUBAKAR YUSUF, National Publicity Secretary, Allied People’s Movement (APM).