Governor Seyi Makinde, the Allied People’s Movement presidential candidate on Thursday selected Lawal Daura, former director-general of the Department of State Services, as his running partner in the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde made the announcement during the APM’s elective national convention, which was held at Rilwanu Adamu Square, Government House in Bauchi.
Lawal succeeds Ibrahim Bala, who was previously declared Makinde’s running companion but was meant to be a placeholder.
The former DSS DG joined the APM a few days ago, having resigned from the African Democratic Congress after losing the Katsina ADC governorship ticket.
Speaking on Daura’s appointment, Makinde revealed that he was purposefully chosen to improve the country’s security situation.
At the convention, Yusuf Dantalle was re-elected as APM’s national chairman.
Speaking during the convention, Makinde emphasized that the opposition’s job ahead of the 2027 general election was more than simply gaining power.
He stated that the primary problem was to provide Nigerians with a meaningful option concerning their country’s future and to demonstrate, through measurable plans and records, how an alternative government would enhance their lives.
“As we approach 2027, therefore, I believe the task before all of us is bigger than winning an election. It is to give Nigerians a real choice about the future of their country,” Makinde said.
Makinde congratulated the new national officers chosen at the convention, saying the APM has quickly established itself as a formidable opposition party.
He asked the party’s new leadership to collaborate with other opposition political parties to present Nigerians with a genuine alternative in 2027, emphasizing the importance of a robust opposition to democracy’s survival.
“As I said during the Ibadan Declaration in April this year, the presence of credible opposition is what sustains democracy.
“So, our new leaders must be ready to work with other opposition parties to ensure that we give Nigerians a credible alternative in the 2027 general election,” he said.
Makinde stated the coming campaign season would inevitably feature political slogans, promises, and declarations by candidates but argued that Nigerians should demand more from those seeking to lead them.
According to him, the 2027 election should focus on measurable achievements rather than government pronouncements, policies, and pledges that do not result in changes in citizens’ lives.
“The 2027 election must be an election about outcomes. For too long, we have measured governance by announcements. We are presented with policy after policy, rather than evidence of whether those policies have made people’s lives better,” he said.
Using regular Nigerians’ experiences as examples, Makinde argued that economic policies should eventually be assessed by citizens’ purchasing power rather than official statistics.
“When our mothers go to the market, they don’t experience economic policy as a statistic. They experience it in what their money can buy. How much rice, beans, and gari they can take home,” he said.
He went on to say that young Nigerians would evaluate employment policies based on their capacity to find productive work and live independently, much as farmers would evaluate agricultural policies based on productivity, market access, and if farming had improved their economic situation.
On security, Makinde stated that the efficiency of government should be measured not by the number of security meetings attended by officials but by whether Nigerians can live and pursue their livelihoods fearlessly.
“Families do not judge security by the number of meetings government has held. They judge it by whether they can travel, farm, work, and sleep with their two eyes closed,” he said.
The APM contender stated that the defining question of the 2027 election should shift from what the administration claimed to have done to what has actually changed in the lives of Nigerians.
“The question before Nigeria in 2027 should not simply be: What has the government done? It should be “What has changed for Nigerians?” he said.
He went on to say that opposition candidates must also face scrutiny by explaining what they would do differently and what concrete benefits Nigerians should expect if they are elected.
Makinde stated that his administration used the same philosophy in Oyo State, focusing not just on government-announced projects but also on their impact on the people.
Poverty reduction, job development, education, healthcare, and security are among the primary concerns he believes will dominate the political debate in 2027.
“We must talk about an economy that moves over 140 million Nigerians currently living in poverty towards prosperity.
“We must talk about creating productive jobs and opportunities for our young people in a country where over 60 percent of the population is young.
“We must talk about education that prepares our children for the economy they will inherit. Healthcare that people can access. And security that protects Nigerians wherever they live,” he said.
Makinde also advocated for the reform of the Nigerian federation to bring more power, decisions, and resources closer to the people.
According to him, the country could not reach its full potential under a system in which choices at the state and municipal levels had to wait for Abuja.
“Nigeria cannot achieve its full potential when decisions that should be taken in Osun, Kano, Cross River, or Enugu must first wait for Abuja.
“We need a federation in which more decisions and resources are brought closer to the people, accompanied by greater accountability for results,” he said.
The governor also cited the erosion of trust between citizens and their leaders as a serious problem to the country’s democracy, stating that Nigerians must feel that political leaders’ vows mean something.
He argued for a distinct political culture in which disputes do not turn political opponents into enemies and opposition extends beyond the desire to remove incumbents from power.
“A politics where disagreement does not make us enemies. A politics where opposition is not merely about removing those in power but about presenting a credible and demonstrably better alternative.
“And a politics where parties that may not agree on everything can nevertheless agree that Nigeria must work better for its people,” Makinde said.
He challenged politicians seeking Nigerians’ votes in 2027 to submit their records and proposals to public scrutiny and make the election a contest of ideas and measurable plans.
“Let the coming campaign be a contest of ideas. Let us debate the evidence. Let us compare records. Let us present measurable plans.
“And above all, let every one of us who seeks the trust of Nigerians answer one simple question: How will the lives of Nigerians be better because you were given the opportunity to lead?” he said.
Makinde argued that making that subject the defining issue of the 2027 election would strengthen the country’s democracy regardless of the political platforms on which candidates run.
In his remarks, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who was named the party’s national leader, expressed confidence in Makinde and Daura’s presidential ticket.
Mohammed described Makinde as Nigeria’s best presidential contender and expressed confidence that if elected, the party would deliver an inclusive government.
He stated that being named national leader comes with a great deal of responsibility and vowed that the party’s leadership will not let its members and supporters down.
“The recognition you have given us is going to give us a lot of challenges. It is for us to do more for you. By the grace of God, we will not disappoint you,” Mohammed said.
He also stated that Makinde’s engineering background would be an advantage in addressing the country’s development challenges, while the party’s administrators would support his leadership.
“We are putting square pegs in square holes. Our presidential candidate is an engineer by profession. He knows how to manufacture, develop, and draw a plan, and we as administrators are behind him,” he said.
Mohammed further stated that the APM would try to accommodate Nigerians from diverse backgrounds and deliver inclusive leadership.
Speaking after his re-election, Dantalle stated that Nigeria possessed the resources and potential to become a rich nation but had been hampered by leadership issues.
He urged Nigerians from all six geopolitical zones, as well as ethnic and religious groups, to connect with the APM and support its goal of making the country stronger and more wealthy.
He said, “We have everything we need. Nigerians are not supposed to be slaves in their own country. God has given this country the greatness that we require.
“We call on all Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones, across ethnic, religious, and cultural divides, to identify with the Allied People’s Movement because our party is committed to building a stronger, more prosperous, and more united Nigeria.”
Dantalle stated that the APM was committed to growing as a formidable national political movement capable of generating leaders that Nigerians could trust.
He asked party members and supporters to spread their message of hope, unity, development, and democratic rebirth to every local government, state, and neighborhood.
He said, “Let us take our message of hope, unity, development, and democratic renewal to everyone, every local government, state, and community.
“That is what I earlier referred to as ‘Operation Talk to Somebody, Talk to Somebody, Talk to Somebody’ until somebody gets to know that APM is a party to take you.”
The national chairman voiced confidence in the party’s ability to win the 2027 elections, citing its unity of purpose, clear vision, and commitment to Nigerians.
