2027: Makinde’s Campaign Vows to Defeat Tinubu in 12 States

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation has vowed to defeat President Bola Tinubu in 12 states where the President is expected to hold personal campaign rallies ahead of the January 2027 presidential election.

The organisation, which is campaigning for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), said Tinubu’s planned visits would not change what it described as growing opposition to his re-election bid.

The campaign’s position was contained in a statement issued by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Nnanna Ihediwa, according to Vanguard.

The 12 states identified for Tinubu’s personal campaign visits are Oyo, Kaduna, Rivers, Plateau, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.

Channels Television also reported on October 16 that the APC had released a presidential campaign itinerary identifying the same 12 states for Tinubu’s personal rallies.

According to the campaign organisation, the planned visits would not prevent voters from supporting Makinde in the affected states.

The organisation challenged Tinubu to engage directly with Nigerians and assess their living conditions, arguing that economic hardship and the state of public infrastructure would influence voters’ decisions in 2027.

It also criticised the Federal Government’s economic policies, accusing the administration of spending excessively on projects and programmes while Nigerians continued to face financial difficulties.

The campaign dismissed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, arguing that Makinde’s proposed RESET NIGERIA programme offered an alternative approach to governance.

According to the organisation, the proposed programme would prioritise education, economic development, security and socio-political reforms.

It said its economic plan would focus on increasing production to tackle poverty, while its security proposals would combine intelligence gathering with kinetic and non-kinetic measures.

The campaign also promised to expand access to functional education and promote inclusive governance.

However, the organisation’s claims that its candidate is gaining wider acceptance, particularly among young Nigerians, were not accompanied by independent polling evidence in the report.

The campaign further argued that Tinubu’s incumbency and campaign machinery would not prevent an electoral setback for the ruling APC.

The latest declaration comes amid growing political exchanges between the ruling party and opposition groups ahead of the 2027 general election.

The APC had previously dismissed the chances of prominent opposition figures, including Makinde, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and Donald Duke, against Tinubu in the next presidential election.

In a separate report published on October 15, Vanguard quoted the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, as saying the opposition figures were no match for the President.

Nigeria’s presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s published election calendar.

Whether Makinde’s campaign can translate its declaration into electoral gains will depend on voter decisions at the polls. The campaign’s prediction remains a political claim, rather than an established indication of the election’s outcome.