By Julius Peter
The 2027 presidential race assumed a new political dimension on Monday as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, declared that attempts to dismiss his ambition would not diminish the power of millions of Nigerians seeking a better country.
Makinde, who spoke in Abuja during the commissioning of the APM presidential campaign headquarters, said while political opponents might underestimate an individual candidate, they could not ignore the collective power of voters determined to shape the country’s future.
He said, “They may discount one candidate. But they cannot discount millions of Nigerians united behind a better future.”
The Oyo State governor used the occasion to formally unveil his “Reset Nigeria” campaign, presenting it as a platform focused on transparency, accountability and ensuring that the country’s natural resources translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
Makinde’s remarks came against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive political environment ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with political parties and opposition figures beginning to intensify their mobilisation and positioning.
Makinde recalled that his first attempt to become governor of Oyo State was also greeted with doubts by established political forces.
According to him, those who had concluded that he could not win at the time underestimated the electorate, as voters eventually produced a different outcome.
He said the same principle would guide his presidential campaign, arguing that Nigerians rather than political calculations would ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 election.
Makinde said the dismissal of his campaign was, in effect, a dismissal of the millions of Nigerians whose concerns the campaign seeks to represent.
He identified traders, farmers, workers, small-business owners and young Nigerians among those whose daily experiences should form the basis of the national political conversation.
“But we count. Our voices count. Our experiences count. Our ideas count. And, together, our votes will count,” he said.
He urged Nigerians not to leave discussions about the country’s future solely to politicians, saying the proposed reset must become a conversation across homes, markets, schools, offices, farms, factories and communities.
A major component of Makinde’s message was his demand for greater transparency in government.
He argued that citizens should be able to understand how government decisions are made, how public resources are deployed and who ultimately benefits from them.
“It means that government must show its workings,” he said, stressing that Nigerians should know how decisions affecting their lives and livelihoods are reached.
For Makinde, accountability should not be restricted to financial expenditure but should extend to policies and decisions that affect the economy and the welfare of ordinary citizens.
He said the central question should be whether increases in the country’s wealth are reflected in improved living conditions for Nigerians.
“That is what it means to Reset Nigeria,” he said.
The APM candidate also used the occasion to clarify his position on the contentious issue of petrol pricing, insisting that he was not advocating a return to the old fuel subsidy regime.
Instead, Makinde proposed that Nigerians should benefit more directly from the country’s status as an oil-producing nation through a different approach to the pricing of crude supplied to domestic refineries.
He questioned why crude produced in Nigeria should be supplied to Nigerian refineries at a price that, in his view, fails to sufficiently reflect the country’s position as the producer.
He called for greater transparency throughout the petroleum value chain, including crude production, domestic crude allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxation and retail margins.
His argument is that Nigerians should be able to understand how the price of petrol is arrived at and where costs are accumulated before the product reaches consumers.
The proposal adds another dimension to the continuing national debate over how to reduce the burden of high energy and transportation costs without returning to the subsidy regime that was removed by the Federal Government in 2023.
The Abuja event also attracted prominent opposition figures, including former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Obi said Makinde was qualified to contest the presidency and argued that Nigerians should be allowed to freely determine who leads the country.
He said the emerging opposition movement should not be driven by desperation for power but by the desire to give Nigerians meaningful choices at the ballot box.
“Yes, Seyi Makinde is qualified to contest for President,” Obi said, adding that the objective should be to allow Nigerians to make their choice and subsequently work together to build the country.
Obi also called for a shift in the focus of political competition from personal attacks and partisan disputes to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
He said the political class should compete over how to feed Nigerians, reduce poverty and create opportunities for citizens, particularly young people.
He expressed the aspiration for a Nigeria where a person without political connections could still rise to positions of influence and success.
The APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, however, introduced another perspective into the discussion, urging Nigerians to distinguish between being legally qualified to contest an election and possessing the political strength required to win it.
“There are candidates that may be eligible, but they are not electable,” Daura said.
He also advocated issue-based opposition politics, saying opposition parties should focus on providing what he described as a “qualitative opposition” capable of offering Nigerians credible alternatives.
According to him, political cooperation should be directed towards producing better governance rather than descending into attacks and political bitterness.
Bauchi State Governor and APM National Leader, Bala Mohammed, also used the occasion to signal the seriousness of the party’s preparations for the 2027 election.
Mohammed warned those who might dismiss the emerging political platform not to underestimate its potential.
“Whoever disregards us is doing it at his own peril,” he declared.
He praised Makinde’s record in Oyo State and his experience in the private sector and oil and gas industry, describing these as qualities that could help position him for the presidency.
Mohammed also called for discipline and unity within the party, stressing the importance of party supremacy and the need for members to place national interest above individual ambitions.
The National Chairman of the APM, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, described the commissioning of the campaign headquarters as the beginning of the party’s broader campaign to “Reset Nigeria.”
Dantalle said the headquarters would serve as the operational base for the party’s 2027 presidential campaign.
He presented the APM ticket as an alternative to the dominant political forces and said the campaign would concentrate on solutions rather than political bitterness, division and hatred.
According to him, Makinde’s experience in governance and the complementary background of Daura offered the party a combination it believed could address Nigeria’s challenges.
He said Nigerians were tired of politics that failed to translate into meaningful improvements in their lives and urged citizens to support candidates committed to competence, accountability and national development.
Makinde’s message represents an attempt to frame the 2027 presidential contest not simply as a battle among political parties or established political figures, but as a contest for the confidence of ordinary Nigerians.
His “Reset Nigeria” message places particular emphasis on citizens affected by inflation, rising transportation costs, high energy prices, unemployment and the broader cost-of-living crisis.
The campaign is seeking to turn these everyday experiences into political demands, with Makinde arguing that the voices of Nigerians who operate businesses, cultivate farms, work for wages or struggle to find employment must influence national policy.
He therefore urged Nigerians to interrogate the ideas being presented by political candidates, challenge their assumptions and contribute their own solutions.
“Ask questions. Challenge our ideas. Share your own ideas. Organise within your communities. Become a Resetter,” he said.
With the 2027 presidential election already beginning to shape political alignments, Makinde’s declaration marks an attempt to establish the APM as a significant platform in the emerging contest.
Whether the party can convert the enthusiasm generated by the launch into a nationwide political structure, grassroots mobilisation and electoral support remains a question for the campaign months ahead.
For Makinde, however, the central argument is straightforward: political predictions cannot replace the decision of voters.
His campaign is built on the proposition that Nigerians who feel excluded from the political process can become the force that determines the outcome of the election.
As he put it, the country belongs to its citizens and its resources should work for them.
“This is our country. These are our resources. We count. And together, we will Reset Nigeria,” Makinde said.
The statement effectively sets the tone for what promises to be an increasingly competitive 2027 presidential contest, in which the battle for voters may be as important as the battle among political parties.
