Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has unveiled a grand alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied People’s Movement (APM), which according to him, will allow the PDP to produce candidates from the House of Assembly to the Presidency in the 2027 general elections on the platform of the APM.
The governor equally declared the birth of the Reset Nigeria Movement, rallying all Nigerians, who he said are hard done by the harsh economic policies and lack of direction by the APC government at the centre, to work in unity to give the country the reset it needs.
Addressing a mammoth crowd at the historic Mapo Hall, Ibadan, during a mega rally in commemoration of the grand alliance between the two parties, Governor Makinde declared his ambition to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2027.
He maintained that Nigerians would witness the birth of a new nation from May 29, 2027, stating that despite the hardship visited on Nigerians and the oppression of opposition parties by the APC, Nigerians would not cave in or allow the aspiration of the APC to foist a one-party system on the country.
According to the governor, who had earlier led PDP leaders to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Working Committee of the APM led by its National Chairman, Alhaji Yusuff Mamman Dantalle, APC’s projection that opposition parties would never be able to unite has failed, with the average Nigerian becoming the opposition.
He called on Nigerians to shake off political apathy by engaging in the political process to ensure that Nigeria works for everyone, saying it was high time Nigerians confronted their fears and rescued their country.
He equally tasked opposition political parties to unite, saying the PDP and APM have shown example of how parties must engage to rescue Nigeria from the APC, on whose watch the country had been crumbling.
“Those charged with the responsibility of looking out for the welfare of citizens are treating the authority they hold in trust as personal property that they can wield as they please. This is why, for the past several months, one question has been at the top of my mind. Where do we go from here? Is this the way we are to continue as a nation? We have been pushed to the wall with the belief that we will turn against ourselves in confusion. Or worse still, that we will become too weary from trying to survive on a daily basis to fight back.
“They calculated and said the opposition cannot unite. But I am here today to say that it is a miscalculation. The opposition in Nigeria is not just political parties. The opposition is the everyday Nigerian for whom the country does not work, and even the opposition political parties in Nigeria remain collectively resolved to work together to present an alternative.
“This is the time for all of us to shake off the apathy that is gradually taking root and engage with the political process to ensure that Nigeria works for us. This is the time to confront our fears. Do not be afraid. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators in our own country.
“We cannot be bystanders. We must engage, we must participate and the outcome will be guaranteed. For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite. One party at a time and this is what PDP and APM are doing right now. It is the time to work in unity to give our dear nation the results that it needs.
“Today, history is being made. I pronounce today the birth of the Reset Nigeria Movement. The time to reset Nigeria is now. And so, today, in Oyo State, in Ibadan, which is the city of warriors, the first grand Alliance is formed — the alliance of the PDP and APM. This handshake will allow us field candidates at all levels. We will field candidates from top to bottom. We will field candidates from presidency to State Assembly and everything in between.
“Therefore, today, I, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, announce my candidacy for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We will witness the rebirth of a new nation from May 29th, 2027.”
