The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has announced November 4, 2026, for the unveiling of its presidential manifesto, promising to tackle unemployment, poverty and insecurity, as its National Chairman urged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race and support its candidate, Seyi Makinde.
The party made the announcements at its South-East town hall meeting in Enugu, where Makinde outlined a four-pillar reform agenda covering economic renewal, security restructuring, education reform and a reset of Nigeria’s socio-political space.
He said the manifesto was being developed through consultations with Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones to ensure that their concerns shaped the party’s policies.
Makinde also unveiled plans to train one million young Nigerians under the Skill Reset Nigeria initiative, saying the programme would equip beneficiaries with practical skills to improve their employment prospects.
He stressed that rebuilding trust between government and citizens was essential to national development, pledging to replicate in Nigeria the relationship he said his administration had established with the people of Oyo State.
The Oyo governor criticised persistent borrowing by the Federal Government despite claims of strong foreign reserves and rising tax revenue, arguing that high interest rates and limited access to long-term financing were stifling businesses and manufacturing.
Citing commercial centres such as Nnewi and Onitsha, he promised to create a business-friendly environment that would encourage entrepreneurship, investment and job creation.
Makinde urged Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious divisions, insisting that hunger, poverty and unemployment affected citizens regardless of their backgrounds.
He also called on voters to protect their Permanent Voter Cards and use them to elect credible leaders, while criticising politicians who, he said, sought public support through financial inducements.
“Our leaders should please pray for Nigeria, but they should also stop deceiving the people and tell Nigerians the true state of affairs,” he said.
The APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantelle, in a separate appeal, called on Tinubu to step aside and allow Makinde to complete the remaining four years of the southern presidency.
Recalling what he described as Makinde’s support for Tinubu in 2023, he urged the President to reciprocate by backing a new political direction.
“Today, we are calling on President Tinubu to support a new direction and step aside, withdraw from the 2027 race to allow Makinde to complete the remaining four years of the southern term,” he said.
The chairman, who described Nigeria’s current situation as unprecedentedly troubling, identified energy supply and transportation as critical to economic recovery.
“Every successful economy is driven by the private sector,” he said, arguing that Nigeria’s status as a crude oil producer should translate into tangible benefits for its citizens, particularly amid rising international petroleum prices.
He also described banditry, kidnapping and Boko Haram insurgency as symptoms of deeper socio-economic problems.
APM vice-presidential candidate Lawal Daura also blamed Nigeria’s challenges on leadership failures, saying hunger, deprivation and insecurity required urgent action.
He criticised what he described as the militarisation of politics and politicisation of security, insisting that democracy could not thrive without responsible leadership committed to citizens’ welfare.
“We are not here to joke, to steal or to lie. Neither are we here to make promises that are inconsistent with the hopes and aspirations of Nigerians,” Daura said, describing himself and Makinde as “Resetters” determined to reform the country.
Daura urged Nigerians, particularly those in the South-East, to support the party’s 16-point agenda, expressing confidence that the country’s challenges could be overcome through competent leadership, patriotism and selflessness.
The opposition party also called on young people and women to participate actively in politics, promising greater inclusion, empowerment and welfare as the party seeks to position Makinde as an alternative in the 2027 presidential election.
