APM: Tinubu fears Makinde’s rising profile ahead of 2027

MThe Allied People’s Movement (APM) has accused the Presidency of launching attacks against its presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, because of what it described as growing concern over his increasing popularity ahead of the 2027 general election.

The party said recent comments by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Daniel Bwala, reflected what it called the Tinubu administration’s unease over Makinde’s emergence as a major contender for the presidency.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the APM argued that the Federal Government had resorted to personal attacks because it lacked convincing achievements to present to Nigerians. The party maintained that Makinde would defeat President Bola Tinubu at the 2027 polls.

Bwala had, during an interview with journalists on Monday, dismissed both Makinde and the APM as insignificant players in the forthcoming presidential race.

Responding, the opposition party criticised the Presidency for what it described as a decline into political mudslinging rather than engaging issues affecting Nigerians.

“It is rather pathetic that the Tinubu Presidency has fallen so low into ignominy that it now relies on internationally discredited and politically inconsistent characters like Daniel Bwala to speak for it on national TV; a situation that further confirms that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu no longer commands the support of credible Nigerians.

“Since Daniel Bwala’s March 6, 2026, scandalous interview with Al Jazeera, Nigerians can always see through the antics of President Tinubu’s handlers. Daniel Bwala would soon eat his own words against Governor Makinde.

“In any event, the 2027 presidential race would be between Governor Seyi Makinde, standing shoulder to shoulder with millions of Nigerians who are determined for a new beginning, and a failed President Tinubu, who only has the feeble support of a handful of sycophantic, corrupt, arrogant and morally depraved minions on his payroll.

“The APM is, therefore, not surprised that the Tinubu Presidency is deflated and intimidated because it has no tangible scorecard of achievements to present to the public, given its abysmal failures, for which Nigerians across the board have reached a consensus to replace President Tinubu with Governor Makinde at the 2027 election, given Makinde’s outstanding performance as Governor of Oyo State.”

The party said it had no intention of engaging in an exchange of insults with the Presidency, insisting that its focus remained on presenting solutions to the country’s challenges.

It also argued that Makinde’s performance in Oyo State had strengthened his credentials for higher office.

“Of course, President Tinubu should be jittery because Governor Makinde is coming into the contest with an intimidating record of performance, including transforming Oyo State into a foremost economically viable state, surpassing the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, according to data from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), a feat Nigerians want him to replicate at the national level.

“The Tinubu Presidency is edgy because Nigerians are determined and eager to elect Governor Seyi Makinde as the next President of the country so that they can enjoy the benefits of his blueprint to revamp the economy, rejig our security architecture, rebuild collapsed infrastructure, revitalise the productive sectors, provide jobs, end corruption and bring a new lease of life to the people.

“Of course, why won’t the Tinubu Presidency be jittery when Governor Makinde is coming with the full support of over 50 million young Nigerians whose destinies are being caged by the Tinubu administration and who are now rallying with our presidential candidate as the face of the new Nigeria they eagerly seek and for which they are ready to vote in 2027 and defend their votes to the very end?

“To suggest that a presidential candidate with such an army of support is ‘inconsequential’ says more about the anxiety within the corridors of power than it does about the candidate.

“In fact, before noon on election day, the Presidency will know who actually is inconsequential in this race.”