Party urges opposition aspirants to drop personal ambitions and unite behind Oyo governor ahead of 2027 presidential election.
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has endorsed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as its preferred candidate for a possible opposition alliance against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The party’s position comes ahead of an expected meeting of the G-100, a political pressure group advocating the emergence of a single opposition presidential candidate capable of challenging President Tinubu at the polls.
The APM, through its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, urged other opposition presidential aspirants to set aside their personal ambitions and support Makinde, whom it described as the politician best positioned to defeat the incumbent.
Yusuf, who spoke in Abuja while addressing journalists, said consultations among opposition parties were progressing towards the emergence of a consensus candidate.
He said Governor Makinde had emerged as the preferred choice based on his performance as governor, popularity among young people and professionals, as well as what the party described as his practical approach to governance.
According to Yusuf, the opposition must prioritise the broader objective of building a formidable platform capable of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
He also cited arguments in some political circles that the South should produce Tinubu’s successor in 2027 before power potentially returns to the North.
Yusuf urged opposition stakeholders, including the camps of African Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Peter Obi, to subordinate their individual ambitions to the search for a single candidate.
The APM spokesman further claimed that Makinde had a blueprint capable of addressing Nigeria’s security, economic and infrastructure challenges.
The development comes amid ongoing efforts by opposition groups to form a united platform ahead of the 2027 presidential election, although disagreements over candidate selection and political interests remain.