APM Launches Makinde’s 2027 Bid Monday, Takes Aim at Tinubu’s Record

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) says it will officially launch the presidential campaign of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday, intensifying Nigeria’s already active 2027 election season with a direct challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election.

The party said the flag-off ceremony in Abuja will mark the formal start of its nationwide mobilization for Makinde’s presidential ambition. According to APM officials, the event will bring together party leaders, supporters and political stakeholders as the party unveils its campaign structure and message ahead of the January 2027 presidential election.

In announcing the launch, the APM delivered a pointed critique of Tinubu’s administration, arguing that worsening economic hardship, rising living costs and persistent insecurity have left many Nigerians disappointed with the government’s performance. Those remarks represent the opposition party’s political position, while the presidency has consistently defended its reforms as necessary measures to stabilize the economy and restore long-term growth.

Makinde, who is serving his second and final term as governor of Oyo State, has emerged as one of the prominent figures in Nigeria’s evolving opposition politics. Although his candidacy has generated widespread political attention, Monday’s event is expected to formally present him as the APM’s presidential standard-bearer for the 2027 race.

The campaign launch comes weeks after official presidential campaigns commenced in August, opening what is expected to be one of Nigeria’s most competitive electoral contests. President Tinubu is seeking a second term under the All Progressives Congress (APC), while a fragmented opposition has fielded multiple candidates, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, making the race highly contested.

Political analysts say the election is likely to revolve around the economy, inflation, unemployment and security, issues that have dominated public debate since Tinubu introduced sweeping reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and exchange-rate liberalization. While the government points to improving macroeconomic indicators and stronger public revenues, critics argue that ordinary Nigerians continue to bear the burden of soaring prices and declining purchasing power.

For the APM, Monday’s flag-off is more than a ceremonial gathering. It signals the party’s determination to compete nationally at a time when campaign activities are already in full swing, underscoring how the battle for Nigeria’s presidency is now being fought as much through competing economic narratives as through traditional political alliances.