Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, says two presidential candidates from the South-west can contest the 2027 election, despite President Bola Tinubu also coming from the region.

Speaking at a presidential town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, Makinde said the choice of Nigeria’s leader should be based on competence and the ability to deliver good governance.

He cited the 1999 election, when Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae contested the presidency, saying the South-west had presented Nigerians with two strong choices.

Makinde said his ambition was driven by the need to address the country’s economic and security challenges, promising to strengthen security and expand economic opportunities.

“We want a Nigeria that works for everybody. It is not a Nigeria that works for a very few”, he said.

He also advocated a tax system that supports economic growth, insisting, “Tax prosperity, don’t tax poverty”.

APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantale, said the party’s message was to “reset Nigeria”‘ while Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed expressed confidence in Makinde’s leadership capacity, citing his performance at the state level.

“We believe in rotation, live and let live. It is not about posters and billboards; it’s about the mind”, Mohammed said.

The South-west Zonal Coordinator of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Council, Eddy Olafeso, said the campaign was committed to redefining governance, stressing that government should serve the people.