- Says under-hand tactics will fail, Nigeria can’t be a One-party state
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAAUCHI – Governor of Oyo State and Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Engineer Seyi Makinde, says desperate attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to suffocate and muzzle opposition voices will backfire as Nigerians are tired of the biting hardship inflicted on them by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration,
He accused the APC of descending so low and doing everything possible to weaken and possibly kill the voice of reasoning in the country, declaring that the action is quite an unfortunate development for democratic governance in the country.
Seyi Makinde, who made the assertion during a live interview on Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC), Bauchi on Friday, pointed to recent political happenings on the nation’s political space, particularly the Federal High Court ruling by Justice Peter Lifu, against the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
According to the APM flag-bearer, in Bauchi to flag off his presidential campaign, “There is no way Nigeria can be a one-party state, the APC must get that clear”, urging Nigerians not to give up on the country despite of the APC’s failed administration that has brought so much pain to the people.
While expressing the hope that Nigeria will be great again after the change of government in 2027, Makinde said: ”President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC should allow opposition to breath. What happened to the ADC and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar is rather unfortunate and undemocratic.”
He also used the opportunity to criticise the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying their implementation without adequate planning has plunged Nigerians into difficult living conditions from the outset, even as he described insecurity as a major challenge confronting the country.
The Oyo Governor stressed the need for fundamental reforms and political will to address Nigeria’s economic and security challenges, explaining that the challenges facing the country informed the APM’s Reset Nigeria Agenda, describing it as a comprehensive plan to address the nation’s problems and put it on the path of sustainable development.
Seyi Makinde blamed Nigeria’s economic hardships on APC’s rushed policies, which were launched without clear implementation plans, arguing that major reforms require thorough planning and coordination to protect citizens from severe fallout.
Beyond the economy, APM candidate said Nigeria must address deep socio-political flaws to rescue its fragile unity and federal structure, noting that the nation’s founding fathers envisioned a Federal Republic that embraces its distinct nationalities.
Also canvassing that Nigeria must deploy its diversity as a strength rather than a tool for division, the Oyo State Governor said: “Nigeria was established by our founding fathers, who negotiated a federal republic. This means we must acknowledge that there are several nations within one nation. We must, therefore, find a way to work together, ensuring that our diversity becomes a source of unity as we pursue a common goal.”
“When we developed the ‘Reset Agenda’ for the country, it was informed by our firsthand experience of challenges relating to coordination and the over-centralisation of power”, Makinde said, explaining that the agenda was built around four major pillars, arranged according to priority, with the economy occupying the foremost position.
He declared that government policies must translate into tangible improvements for ordinary Nigerians, saying “We want Nigerians to feel the impact of our policies”, and clearly the APM administration will directly address this core objective.
