The federal lawmaker representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West federal constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, Adedeji Olajide (Odidiomo), has promised to personally buy the nomination and expression of interest forms for the state governor, Seyi Makinde, to contest the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Olajide, a two-term PDP lawmaker who chairs the House Committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cybersecurity, stated this while fielding questions on the likely candidates the PDP will parade at its presidential primaries, with the party zoning its presidential ticket to the south.
The lawmaker’s special adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Tolu Mustapha, said in a statement in Ibadan on Sunday that with the PDP zoning the presidency to the South, Makinde stands out as the poster candidate for the region.
According to him, the only credible force capable of matching President Bola Tinubu’s political weight is Governor Makinde of Oyo State.
He must contest the 2027 presidential election, and he describes him as the most prepared leader to take Nigeria forward.
“Governor Seyi Makinde must take a shot at the presidency in 2027. He does not have a choice. He has the education, political experience, corporate background, international exposure, mental capacity and a sterling performance record as a two-term governor of Oyo State. He is the new face of Nigerian politics,” Olajide said.
The lawmaker maintained that Makinde’s rising influence within the PDP and across Nigeria’s political space places him as the natural choice to lead the opposition to victory.
He added that Makinde’s governance model, which has balanced infrastructure with social welfare, has become a reference point for developmental politics in the country.
Olajide declared that Makinde’s candidacy in 2027 would not only sustain the vision of the PDP’s founding fathers but also redefine leadership for a new generation of Nigerians yearning for competence, inclusiveness and genuine progress.
“In the entire South-West, Makinde is the major force that can face Tinubu. His political network cuts across party lines, and I can assure Nigerians that many political parties will collapse their structures into one for him to send the APC out of Aso Rock”, he stressed.