The presidential campaign organisation of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has challenged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if he is unable to campaign across the country and defend his administration’s record before Nigerians.
The organisation accused Tinubu of avoiding direct engagement with voters amid growing public concerns over the administration’s economic policies, security challenges and alleged failure to fulfil campaign promises.
Its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, stated this in a statement on Thursday, following Tinubu’s indication that he might not participate in the All Progressives Congress’ nationwide campaign tour ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tinubu had said he intended to concentrate on governance rather than accompany the party’s campaign team across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Reacting, Makinde’s campaign organisation argued that a president confident in his performance should be prepared to account for his record before the electorate.
“A President who believes he has performed well should be confident to defend his record before the people,” the statement said.
It described the decision to stay away from campaign rallies as a setback for democratic engagement, alleging that the President was reluctant to confront public dissatisfaction with his administration.
The organisation also questioned the government’s handling of electricity supply, alleging that Nigerians had experienced worsening power conditions alongside higher electricity tariffs.
It further criticised the removal of petrol subsidies and the adoption of a more flexible foreign exchange regime, arguing that the policies had increased the financial burden on households without sufficient protection for vulnerable citizens.
“The reckless removal of petrol subsidy, poorly executed floatation of the Naira and other policies without adequate protection for vulnerable citizens have plunged millions of households into punishing hardship,” the statement added.
On security, the campaign organisation accused the Federal Government of failing to adequately address terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities across the country.
It argued that the challenges facing Nigerians in the economy and security sector were reasons the President should directly engage voters during the campaign period.
The organisation insisted that Tinubu should not seek another term without explaining his administration’s record and addressing concerns about the country’s condition.
“If President Tinubu is so fatigued that he cannot go round the country to canvass for votes, then he should withdraw from the race,” it said.
Makinde compares Oyo governance with Federal Government reforms
Separately, Makinde criticised the Federal Government’s economic reform strategy, arguing that the success of policies should be measured by their impact on citizens’ welfare rather than improvements in economic indicators alone.
In a newsletter released on Thursday, the governor compared his administration’s approach to managing Oyo State’s finances with the Federal Government’s handling of the economy under Tinubu.
Makinde acknowledged that the removal of petrol subsidies and the introduction of a more flexible foreign exchange regime had economic justifications but maintained that the timing and consequences of such decisions were equally important.
“Policies tell you what a government wants to change. The order in which it chooses to make those changes tells you how that government thinks,” he said.
He added that leadership required making difficult choices about competing needs while considering who would bear the cost of government decisions.
Makinde said his administration, which began in 2019, prioritised the payment of workers’ salaries, pensions and outstanding gratuities while continuing to invest in infrastructure.
According to him, the state government pursued these commitments despite financial constraints, using alternative funding arrangements to execute selected development projects.
“We could have said the government needed the money for infrastructure and asked workers and pensioners to wait.
“Instead of choosing between paying people and building infrastructure, we chose to do both. We paid salaries consistently. We regularised pension payments. We began clearing inherited gratuity arrears,” he said.
The governor stated that personnel costs accounted for approximately 70 per cent of Oyo State’s federal receipts over four years, adding that the government adopted the Alternative Project Funding Approach to finance certain infrastructure projects.
Under the arrangement, contractors provided upfront funding for selected projects, with the state agreeing to repay the costs over a specified period.
Makinde said the approach reflected his administration’s decision to meet its obligations to workers and pensioners while pursuing development.
“Reform is not only about fixing the numbers. It is also about how people survive the transition,” he said.
Governor cites rising poverty
Makinde also claimed that Nigeria’s poverty rate had increased from about 56 per cent in 2023 to approximately 62 per cent in 2026, which he said represented an additional 23 million people living in poverty.
He argued that although the Federal Government had cited assessments by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund indicating improvements in macroeconomic stability, the gains had not translated sufficiently into better living conditions for many Nigerians.
“These 23 million are not just numbers. They are our parents, neighbours, friends and children,” the governor said.
He maintained that improvements in economic indicators should be accompanied by measurable progress in employment, household incomes and poverty reduction.
Makinde said Nigerians had the right to reconsider their political choices if an administration failed to deliver meaningful improvements in their lives.
“And if, after four years, a leader has not been able to make those choices work for the people, Nigerians have every right to say: let us try someone else,” he added.
The 2027 presidential election is expected to feature Tinubu seeking re-election, while Makinde has been presented in the report as the presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM). The political contest is expected to centre on the records, policies and proposals of the competing candidates.
