Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has pledged to ensure that additional revenue accruing to Nigeria from crude oil sales above the budget benchmark is channelled towards improving citizens' welfare if elected president.
Makinde said economic reforms and rising government revenues would amount to little if they failed to improve the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
He made the commitment on Wednesday in Abuja at the presentation of his presidential manifesto, tagged Reset Agenda, as political parties intensify preparations for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The governor attended the event alongside his running mate, Lawal Daura, and the APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle.
Nigeria's annual budgets are prepared using a benchmark crude oil price, with revenue generated above the projected benchmark traditionally saved or distributed among the federal, state and local governments.
But Makinde said his proposed approach would prioritise the direct impact of additional oil earnings on the population, arguing that the country's natural resource wealth must be reflected in better living standards.
“For us, macroeconomic reforms must translate into improvements in people’s lives,” he said.
He criticised the disconnect between government economic policies and the everyday experiences of Nigerians, questioning the significance of achieving macroeconomic stability when citizens continued to struggle with poor living conditions.
The APM candidate insisted that effective governance required more than policy announcements, stressing the need for clear implementation strategies, measurable performance indicators and institutions capable of enforcing accountability.
He promised to introduce specific performance targets within his first 100 days in office if elected, adding that his administration would place greater emphasis on transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
On the electricity crisis, Makinde urged Nigerians not to allow the Federal Government to evade responsibility for persistent power supply challenges following the enactment of legislation allowing states to participate more actively in the electricity market.
He maintained that although state governments now had greater powers to regulate and operate electricity markets within their jurisdictions, the Federal Government remained responsible for addressing critical challenges relating to power generation and distribution.
Makinde said his presidential aspiration was informed by the need to address the country's development problems and restore the ideals upon which Nigeria's founding fathers built the nation.
He identified improved living standards, human capital development, equal access to economic opportunities and stronger public institutions as priorities of his proposed administration.
The governor said rural communities would receive particular attention, while opportunities for advancement would be made available to Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic, religious or social backgrounds.
“We must develop people’s abilities and expand their access to opportunities. We must also have institutions that work,” he said.
The governor also called for changes to the country's electoral framework, proposing that a presidential candidate should obtain more than half of the total votes cast to be declared winner.
According to him, the requirement would promote wider political participation and encourage candidates to build consensus across different political and social groups.
He further advocated a transitional government of national unity and a national conference where stakeholders could deliberate on the country's fundamental challenges and agree on a common path forward.
Speaking at the event, Daura, a former Director-General of the Department of State Services, raised concerns about what he described as efforts to suppress opposition parties.
He argued that democracy could only thrive where political parties and candidates enjoyed equal opportunities to campaign and compete for electoral support.
Daura stressed the importance of protecting the political space from intimidation and other practices capable of undermining democratic competition.
In his address, Dantalle said the forthcoming election should not be seen merely as a contest for political power by the APM but as an opportunity to determine the future of millions of Nigerians seeking a change in the country's governance.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to demonstrate impartiality and ensure that the 2027 polls were conducted peacefully and credibly.
The APM chairman also condemned electoral manipulation, describing electoral fraud as the worst form of banditry.
Leave a Reply