Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is seeking to translate his record in the state into a national political platform as the 2027 presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Makinde, formally Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, was born in Ibadan on December 25, 1967. An electrical engineering graduate of the University of Lagos, he built a career in the oil and gas industry before establishing Makon Engineering and Technical Services in 1997.
His political journey included several unsuccessful electoral attempts. He contested the Oyo South senatorial seat in 2007 under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and later sought the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the same seat in 2011 but failed to secure the nomination.
In 2015, he contested the Oyo governorship election under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), finishing third with 54,740 votes.
He returned to the PDP in 2017, secured its governorship ticket in 2019 and won the election. He was re-elected in 2023.
Since assuming office, Makinde has identified education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic development as priorities of his administration. His government has pursued road construction, increased education spending, healthcare interventions and initiatives aimed at attracting investment and promoting agribusiness.
The administration has also highlighted regular salary payments and welfare measures for workers and pensioners as part of its record.
However, questions remain over how far state-level achievements can translate into effective leadership of Nigeria’s federal system, which faces wider security challenges, fiscal pressures and complex intergovernmental responsibilities.
Makinde has advocated performance-based leadership, stronger opposition politics and greater devolution of powers to states.
His emergence as the APM’s presidential candidate also raises questions about the political realignments ahead of the 2027 election, given his longstanding association with the PDP.
According to Vanguard, the APM formally presented Makinde as its presidential candidate at a convention in Bauchi on August 13, while Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed emerged as the party’s national leader.
The report also identified former Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General Lawal Daura as Makinde’s running mate, a choice that could strengthen the ticket’s northern political connections and security credentials.
For the APM, Makinde’s two governorship victories and executive experience offer a basis for presenting him as an alternative in the presidential race.
As the campaign approaches, his challenge will be to demonstrate how the policies and initiatives pursued in Oyo State could be adapted to Nigeria’s broader economic, security and governance challenges.
