The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has told the Allied Peoples Movement to first “find its feet” politically before presenting Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for the 2027 presidential election, accusing the governor of allegedly paralysing the 33 local government areas in the state.
The organisation said the APM’s endorsement of Makinde was coming at a time when the governor’s record at the grassroots was already being questioned, particularly over the running of the local government system.
The campaign organisation made its position known in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, in reaction to the APM’s call on President Bola Tinubu to step aside for Makinde.
Oladele said it was not enough for the APM to declare support for a presidential aspirant, arguing that the party must first demonstrate that it had the political structure and nationwide reach required to prosecute a serious presidential campaign.
According to him, a candidate seeking to lead Nigeria should first be able to point to a convincing record of governance and political strength at home.
He said, “APM’s Makinde is averse to the third tier of government in Nigeria, and this is evident in his seven-year anti-local government administration in Oyo State.
“Declaring an ambition is one thing; building the political structure required to prosecute a nationwide presidential election is another entirely.
“The APM should tell Nigerians how extensive its electoral structures are across the federation and demonstrate its capacity to compete effectively across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.”
The organisation made the 33 local government areas in Oyo State the centre of its criticism of Makinde, saying the local government remains too important to be reduced to a political talking point.
It argued that local governments were the closest level of government to the people and should serve as the main vehicle for taking development to communities.
The statement added, “More importantly, even Governor Seyi Makinde, whom the APM now parades as its presidential candidate, has serious political battles to fight in his home state of Oyo where he has paralyzed the 33 local governments in the last seven years.
“In fact, he is gasping for breath politically in the state.
“A man seeking to conquer Nigeria must first demonstrate compelling political strength on his own turf. Charity, as the saying goes, begins at home.”
The Alli campaign organisation further questioned the APM’s capacity to mount a nationwide presidential campaign, asking the party to demonstrate its electoral presence across the country rather than relying on public statements.
It also said the 2027 presidential election would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to examine the records, policies and programmes of the various contenders.
The organisation cited the student loan scheme, establishment of new federal universities, construction of highways and reconstruction of inter-state and inter-city roads as some of the initiatives it said would feature in the assessment of the Tinubu administration.
It maintained that political power at the federal level should not be viewed separately from what candidates had done at the grassroots.
The statement said whoever aspired to lead Nigeria must be prepared to administer the country’s 768 local government areas and the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
The APM had not, as of the time of filing this report, responded to the allegations made by the Alli campaign organisation.
