Makinde promises transitional government and national talks if elected

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said on Wednesday that, if elected president in 2027, he would lead a transitional government and hold a national conference on Nigeria’s future.

Makinde, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate, made the pledge in Abuja as he and his running mate, Lawal Daura, presented their “Reset Nigeria” manifesto, Premium Times and Daily Trust reported.

The manifesto puts in writing the plans Makinde has described since he declared his bid in May, and he wants the talks to consider how presidents are elected. Daily Trust reported that he wants a president to win at least half the votes cast; Premium Times reported that he proposed a threshold that would force candidates to build alliances across ethnic, religious and political lines.

“Nigeria is rich in natural resources and human resources, but our leaders are poor in ideas,” Makinde said. He said the manifesto came from town hall meetings in all six geopolitical zones.

“Concrete promises alone are not enough. Every promise must be linked to a responsible institution, a delivery plan and measurable results that citizens can verify,” he said.

On the economy, Makinde said he would cut the cost of living by lowering production costs, and named the price of electricity and energy as a major obstacle for manufacturers. He said the federal government should take responsibility for power supply instead of blaming states, and that Nigerians should hold President Bola Tinubu to his promise to improve it.

He said he would not seek any personal advantage from whatever constitutional arrangement the conference produced. Daura said a national conference should bring together government, political parties and other groups to agree on a common direction.

Makinde said an APM government would set measurable performance targets within its first 100 days and open its record to public scrutiny.

Sources: APM manifesto; Premium Times; Daily Trust