APM targets 68m votes as Makinde campaign kicks off

The Allied People’s Movement has said its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, is targeting 68 million votes in the 2027 presidential election, representing about two-thirds of the 103 million registered voters in the country.

Represented by his running mate and former DSS Director-General, Lawal Daura, at the campaign committee’s inauguration in Abuja on Tuesday evening, the Oyo State governor said the APM was determined to win majority support through legitimate campaigns.

Also in his remarks, Director General of the National Campaign Management Committee, Felix Hyat, said Makinde’s emergence as President would enable the South to complete its eight-year tenure, stressing that the 2027 election would be a major opportunity for Nigerians to determine the direction of the country.

The Independent National Electoral Commission earlier disclosed that Lagos, Kano and Kaduna states have the largest number of registered voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), made this known on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ meeting and press conference in Abuja, where he provided an update on the national voters’ register.

According to Amupitan, the voters’ register now has over 103 million registered voters following the completion of the commission’s three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise and biometric clean-up.

He said Lagos leads with 7,488,633 eligible voters, followed by Kano with 6,570,276 and Kaduna with 4,662,640.

Reacting, the APM presidential candidate said the campaign was prepared to work within the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, to secure victory.

“By INEC’s record, 103 million have registered for the election. We are aiming to get not less than two-thirds of the votes of the 103 million registered voters.

“We are ready to ensure that everything is done according to the Electoral Act. Those who think they can cause problems, they have a surprise coming for them”, he stated.

He said the campaign was focused on “Resetting Nigeria,” describing it as the only solution capable of addressing the country’s challenges and correcting what was not working.

Daura added, “I can assure you that we have a winning team. We have men and women of integrity who know nothing other than success.

“The selection of the members of this committee is an indication of the seriousness of our campaign and our reset agenda. Our campaign will be devoid of lies, deceit and treachery. We want to make Nigeria better for all Nigerians.”

Also speaking, APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, charged members of the committee with the responsibility of securing victory for Makinde and Daura in the 2027 election, urging them to work collectively despite their differences and diverse backgrounds.

Dantalle said, “The project here is how we can deliver Makinde and Lawal Daura in 2027. It is not an easy task as we are bound to disagree with one another. Our ability to manage our differences will prove to Nigerians that if they can manage themselves, then they can manage Nigeria.”

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He urged committee members to harness their collective strength and dedication to secure victory for the party in the 2027 election.

In his acceptance speech, Hyat said he regarded his appointment as a responsibility and not a privilege to be taken for granted, noting that many other qualified Nigerians could have been chosen for the position.

Hyat, a former Minister of State for Aviation, argued that the South should be allowed to complete its eight-year tenure in accordance with the political understanding of rotating the presidency between the North and South, adding that Makinde is the appropriate candidate to complete the region’s second term.

He stated, “We all know Nigerians are saying, ‘Let the South complete its eight-year tenure.’ And if the South is going to complete its eight-year tenure, we know that the North now has the responsibility, even if not constitutionally but morally, to support it and make sure it goes that way, in the interest of Nigeria as one indivisible country.

“I have realised that everybody has the right to aspire to any of these positions, no doubt about it. But for goodness’ sake, the teeming young people in the North, talented, agile and active, would they now fold their arms and allow one person who wants to be president for three terms, even if he doesn’t get it, or four terms, even if he doesn’t get it? Will you fold your arms until you are also old? That means you don’t have a future.

“The South-West is already having its first four years as President. Why would the South-East be interested in four years while your young people, very educated and very enterprising, are waiting?

“The leaders of these regions owe Nigeria a duty to advise, and the young people owe themselves a responsibility to implement good advice and reject bad advice.

“We are crying today because the President is from the South-West. Is the South-West not crying? Is the South not crying? So, we have a wrong product from there that we have to change. And we have to replace him with a good product, Seyi Makinde, from the South-West.”

Hyat said the responsibility of securing Nigeria’s future rested not only with the APM and its campaign committee but with Nigerians, particularly the youth, whom he urged to reject religious, tribal and regional sentiments in making political choices.

Makinde announced the composition of the campaign management committee on September 30, naming Hyat as Director-General, while APM National Leader and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and National Chairman, Dantalle, were assigned coordination roles.

Former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Inna Ciroma, was appointed Deputy Director-General, Administration, while Dr Anthony Aziegbemi emerged as Deputy Director-General, Operations.

Other appointees include Alhaji Hamza Akuyam Koshe as Director, Contact and Mobilisation; Mark Jacob as Director, Legal and Compliance; Dr Ade Adeagbo as Director, Administration and Strategy; and Richard Ihediwa as Director, Strategic Communications.

Alhaji Yusuf Ismaila Alkali was appointed Director, Finance; Dr Emmanuel Dennis, Director, Volunteers, Special Interests and Support Groups; and Alhaji Suleiman Hussaini Kankia, Director, Security and Intelligence.

Mrs Toyin Balogun was named Director, Women Coordination, while Alhaji Umar Bida Ndabrama will oversee Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Documentation.

Armstrong Adah was appointed Director, Youth Coordination, while Adeyemi Moyegun will serve as Director, Organisation and Coordination. Retired CP Babangida Ayuba John was also appointed Deputy Director, Security and Intelligence.