The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) on Monday inaugurated its presidential campaign headquarters in Abuja, with the party declaring its intention to “reset” Nigeria through its presidential ticket of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Lawal Daura.
Performing the inauguration, the party’s National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Dantalle, described the event as the beginning of what he called a collective effort to redirect the country.
“With this epoch-making event, the much-awaited journey to reset Nigeria has commenced,” Dantalle said.
He said the campaign headquarters would serve as the operational centre for the party’s activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dantalle said the Makinde-Daura ticket combined governance experience with security expertise, arguing that the duo had the capacity to address the country’s economic and security challenges.
“With a competent vice-presidential candidate, Daura, who once headed a critical security service in the country, insecurity will be tackled head-on,” he said.
The APM chairman also cited Makinde’s record as governor of Oyo State as evidence of his capacity to drive economic development and improve national security.
He said the party’s campaign would be issue-based and centred on competence, unity and practical solutions, rather than divisive politics.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inauguration was also used to highlight what the party described as recent electoral gains, including its reported victory in all the local government elections in Bauchi State.
Addressing the gathering, Makinde focused on national economic policies, particularly the pricing framework for petroleum products.
He argued that domestic crude allocation should be priced based on local production costs rather than what he described as arbitrary global rates.
The governor also called for transparency across the petroleum value chain, from crude production to retail, saying government should clearly account for how prices are determined.
Makinde, responding to doubts about the strength of his political structure, recalled his initial victory in the Oyo governorship election and warned against dismissing the concerns of ordinary Nigerians.
“What they (skeptics) are really saying is that the hopes of millions of Nigerians do not count,” he said.
He said the campaign should move beyond political elites and involve traders, farmers, workers and young people in discussions about the country’s future.
Makinde also invited citizens to use the new campaign headquarters as a platform for community engagement, urging Nigerians to scrutinise political ideas and participate in efforts to promote accountable governance.
“This is our country; these are our resources; we count, and together, we will reset Nigeria,” he said.
