Makinde Wants Leaders Judged By Performance As Gov Bala Mohammed Emerges APM National Leader

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Engr. Seyi Makinde, has advocated a performance-based general election in Nigeria.

He advised Nigerians to assess political leaders by the tangible impact of their policies on the citizens’ lives.

Makinde gave the advixe yesterday at the APM national convention held at the Dr Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu Square, Government House, Bauchi. The convention was attended by delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alongside party leaders and stakeholders.

LEADERSHIP Friday reports that at the convention, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, was re-elected as the national chairman of the APM, while Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, emerged as the party’s national leader.

The delegates also ratified a new constitution for the party, which its leadership is expected to operate going forward.

Makinde said the 2027 election should be about measurable outcomes rather than political slogans, promises and policy announcements.

He asked the APM and other opposition parties to work together to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative ahead of the elections.

According to him, Nigerians should demand evidence of how government policies have improved their living conditions. “The 2027 election must be an election about outcomes. For too long, we have measured governments by announcements,” he said.

We are presented with policy after policy, rather than evidence of whether those policies have made people’s lives better,” he said.

Makinde said ordinary Nigerians experienced government policies through their daily realities, including food prices, employment opportunities, agricultural productivity and security.

“The question before Nigeria in 2027 should not simply be what has the government done. It should be, what has changed for Nigerians?” he asked.

The APM presidential candidate identified poverty reduction, job creation, youth empowerment, quality education, accessible healthcare and improved security as some of the issues that should dominate the 2027 political debate.

He also called for greater devolution of powers and resources to states and local communities, arguing that Nigeria could not achieve its full potential if decisions that ought to be taken closer to the people continued to depend on Abuja.

Makinde further identified the restoration of public trust as one of the major challenges confronting Nigeria’s political system. He said political leaders must ensure that their promises and commitments carried meaning, while political disagreements should not turn opponents into enemies.

The Oyo state Governor added that, “We want a politics where disagreement does not make us enemies. A politics where opposition is not merely about removing those in power, but about presenting a credible and demonstrably better alternative,” he said.

“Let this coming campaign be a contest of ideas. Let us debate the evidence. Let us compare records. Let us present measurable plans. And above all, let every one of us who seeks the trust of Nigerians answer one simple question. How will the life of Nigerians be better because we were given the opportunity to lead?” Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde added.

Also speaking, the newly inaugurated national leader of the APM, Governor Bala Mohammed, pledged his support for the party’s presidential candidate and promised to work with other leaders to build a united and inclusive political movement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Bala described the APM as a party committed to harmony and opposed to conflict, saying the responsibility entrusted to him would motivate him and other leaders to work harder for the party and Nigerians.

He also backed the choice of former director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, as the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, saying his security experience would contribute to efforts to address Nigeria’s insecurity challenges.

According to him, Makinde, whom he described as an engineer, possesses the technical expertise required to drive development, while the party’s administrators would provide the necessary support for effective governance.

Bala assured party members that the APM would run an inclusive government and accommodate Nigerians across different divides if elected in 2027.

“By the grace of God, we will not disappoint you. We will support our presidential candidate by all means,” he said.

He added that the party was determined to bring development and prosperity to Nigeria.

In his acceptance speech, the re-elected national chairman of the APM, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle said Nigerians deserved leaders who would listen to them, respect their dignity and fulfil the promises made to them.

He maintained that Nigeria possessed the human and natural resources required to attain greatness, stressing that citizens should not be forced to become “Slaves or bouncers” in other countries in search of opportunities.

He said the APM was determined to evolve into a formidable national political movement capable of providing Nigerians with credible leadership.

“Nigerians are yearning for a political party and leaders that they can trust; leaders who will listen to them, respect their dignity and deliver on the promises made to them,” he said.

Dantalle expressed confidence that the party’s unity of purpose, clear vision and commitment to Nigerians would propel it to electoral victory in 2027.

As the party prepares for the commencement of its presidential and National Assembly campaigns, he urged members and supporters to become ambassadors of the APM and take its message of hope, unity, development and democratic renewal to every ward, local government, state and community.

He described the party’s mobilisation strategy as “Operation Talk to Somebody,” urging members to repeatedly engage Nigerians until they understood the APM’s message and political agenda.

Dantalle acknowledged that the road ahead might be difficult but expressed confidence that victory was achievable through unity, determination and effective mobilisation.