The Allied Peoples Movement has accused President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress of becoming increasingly worried about the growing popularity of its 2027 presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
The party said the alleged fear was behind Makinde’s exclusion from Monday’s flag off ceremony for the Ibadan Ijebu Ode road project, arguing that the governor’s presence could have drawn significant attention and shifted the spotlight away from President Tinubu and the federal government.
The development comes as the 2027 presidential race begins to take shape, with several major contenders emerging from the South West. The region now has at least three prominent presidential hopefuls apart from the broader political contest, raising the possibility of a split in the South West vote.
The major contenders identified are President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC from Lagos, Governor Seyi Makinde of the APM from Oyo State and Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, making it two candidate from Ondo State.
The APM, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, said the presidency and the APC were uncomfortable with Makinde’s rising profile ahead of the 2027 election.
The party claimed that inviting Makinde to the road project ceremony would have given him an opportunity to attract public attention and highlight what it described as his achievements in Oyo State.
According to the APM, the Tinubu administration and the APC were worried that Makinde’s presence would further expose what the party called the shortcomings of the federal government, particularly in road development.
The party argued that Makinde had performed better than President Tinubu in road construction over the past three years.
The APM claimed that since taking office in 2023, President Tinubu had been unable to point to the initiation, execution and completion of up to 250 kilometres of roads across the South West.
In contrast, the party said Makinde had constructed more than 360 kilometres of roads in Oyo State alone, with additional projects already completed or awaiting commissioning.
The APM also said Makinde’s influence was not limited to infrastructure development. It accused the APC of being uneasy about the governor’s growing ability to work with governors, political leaders and other key stakeholders across the country on major national issues.
The party maintained that Makinde’s presence at the Ibadan Ijebu Ode road project event would have attracted considerable public and political interest, potentially taking attention away from the federal government.
The allegations by the APM come as political parties and potential presidential candidates begin positioning themselves for the 2027 election, with the South West expected to play an important role in determining the outcome.
The APM said President Tinubu and the APC could not continue to avoid a direct political confrontation with Makinde because the two sides would eventually meet at the ballot box.
The party expressed confidence that millions of Nigerians would support Makinde as an alternative to Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The APM said the popularity it believes Makinde is gaining across the country could not be suppressed and that the coming election would provide voters with the opportunity to decide who should lead the country.
The party’s position signals a more aggressive political battle ahead, as Makinde’s expected presidential bid adds another major name to an increasingly crowded field ahead of 2027.
