Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has taken a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that the 2027 general election will no longer be a regular contest between political parties but a direct face-off between Nigerians and the ruling party.
In an interview on Tuesday, Makinde stated that citizens are fed up with the current administration and will make their voices heard at the ballot box.
“The 2027 election won’t be PDP versus APC; it would be Nigerians versus APC. Mark my word on that,” he said.
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He attributed the growing frustration to the APC’s handling of the economy, worsening insecurity, and perceived failure to address the needs of ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, the coming election would serve as a referendum on the Tinubu-led government.
Makinde also addressed what he described as strategic missteps by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the last presidential election.
He said the decision to hand over the party’s three most influential positions presidential candidate, national chairman, and campaign director general to individuals from the northern region had severe consequences.
The Oyo governor insisted that such imbalance alienated the southern electorate and weakened the party’s ability to mount a strong nationwide campaign.
Reflecting on the past, he added that the PDP ticket could have been more competitive if Atiku Abubakar had selected Nyesom Wike, then Governor of Rivers State, as his running mate.
Makinde maintained that the PDP is still the only viable alternative for the masses and vowed that lessons learned from 2023 would guide the party’s strategy going forward.
