Makinde Has Lost Control Of His Party, Campaigns On Borrowed Ticket – APC Southwest

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-West has accused Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of campaigning on a “borrowed ticket” ahead of the 2027 general election, saying he has lost control of his party and the support of former allies.

The party also accused Makinde’s presidential campaign organisation of insulting 32 state governors and millions of Nigerians by describing the APC Presidential Campaign Council as a “Nebuchadnezzar Coalition” and an “alliance of failed governors”.

In a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday, the APC South-West Zonal Publicity Secretary, Ayo Afolabi, said the governors supporting President Bola Tinubu belonged to different political parties, including the APC, PDP, APGA and Accord.

He listed Makinde’s South-West counterparts, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo and Ademola Adeleke of Osun, among those backing Tinubu.

Afolabi argued that describing the governors as failures amounted to insulting the millions of Nigerians who elected them, warning that voters would remember the remarks at the polls.

The APC also questioned Makinde’s position on political alliances, recalling that he was part of the G5 governors who opposed the PDP’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 election.

It asked whether Makinde had considered his former allies “predators” at the time, accusing him of changing his position because of his current political circumstances.

The party further claimed that Makinde had lost control of the PDP and alleged that his proposed alliance with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) had been rejected by some party figures.

It also cited former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s reported description of the political bid as “dead on arrival”, arguing that Makinde could not effectively lead a coalition when his own political base was divided.

On governance, the APC said it acknowledged the economic difficulties facing Nigerians but defended the Tinubu administration’s reforms, arguing that they were laying the foundation for long-term recovery.

The party also challenged Makinde to account for challenges in basic education in Oyo State, saying responsibility for primary and secondary education should not be placed entirely on the Federal Government.

Afolabi maintained that Tinubu had secured the confidence of 32 governors and expressed confidence that the APC would win the South-West in the 2027 presidential election.

“The South-West will not be divided by insults. We will deliver the zone to President Tinubu in 2027,” he said.