Oyo State governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential aspirant [Seyi Makinde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seyi_Makinde) defended his intention to run in the 2027 election on Thursday in Akure, arguing that the South‑West can comfortably present two candidates even though President Bola Tinubu, the incumbent, also comes from the region.
Speaking at the APM Makinde/Daura Campaign Organisation’s South‑West town‑hall meeting, Makinde recalled the 1999 election when former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late Olu Falae, both from the South‑West, contested the presidency. He said, “The southwest zone of Nigeria has always been at the forefront of a better country for us. I’ve heard people ask why I am contesting when the southwest already has someone seated on that seat, and I replied that we have an example from 1999 where two of our fathers, President Obasanjo and Olu Falae, both from the same region, ran for president and the nation did not fall apart.”
He urged the region to reject what he termed “politics of deceit,” pointing to his administration’s achievements in Oyo State as evidence of his capability to deliver at the national level. Makinde highlighted that under his leadership, the state’s budget execution rose from roughly 28‑30 % when he took office to over 70 % in the past seven years, with a consistent January‑to‑December fiscal cycle.
Makinde also criticised the federal government’s handling of the United Nations budget. He questioned the decision of Nigeria’s permanent representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, to bring the UN budget to President Tinubu, arguing that it was an unjustifiable use of taxpayers’ money while the country’s own budget for 2023‑2026 remained unclear. “I was watching on TV two days ago; Nigeria’s permanent representative at the [United Nations](https://www.un.org) presented the UN budget to the president. They can waste taxpayers’ money flying from New York to Abuja to present the UN budget when we do not even know which national budget we are operating on,” he said.
Makinde contrasted this with his state’s fiscal record, noting that Oyo’s budget performance has been sustained annually above the 70 % mark. He added that his administration operates a transparent budget cycle aligned with the calendar year, which he believes sets a standard for federal financial management.
In summary, Makinde’s message was two‑fold: the South‑West can field more than one credible presidential candidate, and the federal government must prioritize prudent financial stewardship over symbolic gestures such as presenting the UN budget abroad.