Hon. Akin Alabi, member of the House of Representatives representing Egbeda/Ona Ara Federal Constituency, has dismissed the 2027 presidential bid of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, asserting that the governor has no genuine intention of becoming Nigeria’s president under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) platform.
Speaking during a political briefing and interactive session with party leaders on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat along Ring Road in Ibadan, Alabi characterized Makinde’s political maneuvering as a calculated strategy for political leverage rather than a viable campaign for the presidency.
Addressing journalists and party faithful, Alabi stated that Makinde’s emergence as the APM candidate and his recent campaign activities are aimed at securing political relevance and negotiating terms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
”Let us speak candidly to the electorate: Governor Seyi Makinde knows he is not in this presidential race to win it,” Alabi declared. “What we are witnessing is a classic political bargaining ploy. Setting up campaign councils and holding declarations under the APM flag are designed to give him a seat at the bargaining table when major political realignments occur closer to 2027. He has no institutional backing or genuine intention to occupy Aso Rock.”
Alabi urged voters in Oyo State and across the nation not to be distracted by what he termed an “improbable project” and called on the governor to focus on completing his tenure in Oyo State rather than expending state resources on a symbolic national campaign.
Responding to the statements at 1:30 PM from the Makinde Presidential Campaign Headquarters in Bodija, Ibadan, Director of Strategic Communications Richard Ihediwa refuted Alabi’s claims, describing them as panicked reactions from the ruling party.
”Hon. Akin Alabi’s remarks reflect the growing anxiety within the APC as Governor Seyi Makinde’s message of national economic reset continues to resonate with Nigerians across all geopolitical zones,” Ihediwa said. “Governor Makinde accepted the APM nomination to offer a clear, competent alternative to the current administration. His commitment to this campaign is absolute, and any suggestion that this is a negotiation tactic is entirely false.”
Ihediwa added that the newly inaugurated campaign council, led by Director-General Felix Hyat, is fully operational and actively expanding its grassroots structures nationwide ahead of the 2027 polls.
