Makinde: I’m Offering Nigerians Alternative to Tinubu in 2027 Presidential Election

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared his intention to offer Nigerians an alternative to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the Yoruba people should have a choice beyond the incumbent.

Makinde, who is contesting on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement, said he was seeking the opportunity to lead the country and address what he described as the Federal Government’s shortcomings in tackling economic challenges, insecurity and skills development.

He made the remarks during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, arguing that his Yoruba identity should not prevent him from challenging Tinubu, who also hails from the South-West.

Makinde said Nigerians should be allowed to choose between candidates from the same ethnic group if they believe either could provide the leadership the country needs.

“I think where we are right now is Nigeria is at a crossroads. If the solution will come from a Yoruba President, they must have choices. I’m also a Yoruba person,” he said.

The governor also ruled out the possibility of contesting as a running mate to another presidential candidate, insisting that he was seeking the presidency in his own right.

“I’m not running as a deputy to somebody, or as a vice to somebody. I am running to tell the people of Nigeria that the inability of the current administration to tackle decisively our economic issues, to tackle decisively the issue of insecurity, to tackle decisively the issue of skills and knowledge for our people, is not a Yoruba agenda,” he stated.

He added that his candidacy was intended to provide an alternative for both Nigerians and the Yoruba people, stressing his ambition to lead from the centre.

“I, as a Yoruba man, am putting on the table an alternative for the people of Nigeria and the Yoruba people. I’m the one going to the centre to say, ‘Look, at the centre, give me the opportunity to reset Nigeria. Let me be the Yoruba President,’” Makinde added.

Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, is also Yoruba and hails from Lagos State.

The 2027 presidential contest has drawn attention to the South-West, with Makinde seeking to challenge an incumbent from the same geopolitical zone.

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list of presidential candidates for the January 16, 2027 election includes Tinubu, Makinde, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Peoples Democratic Party candidate Sandy Ojang Onor, among others.

The election is also taking place amid ongoing debates over zoning and the informal rotation of the presidency between Nigeria’s