Mohammed’s verdict exposes Makinde’s ‘dead-on-arrival’ presidential bid- Alli - The Guardian Nigeria News

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has described Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential ambition under the platform of the Allied Peoples’  Movement (APM) as “dead on arrival”, saying the recent commendation of President Bola Tinubu by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has exposed contradictions in the project.

The campaign organisation said Mohammed’s public acknowledgement that Tinubu had “done so well” in areas including finance, health and security raised questions about the viability of Makinde’s presidential aspiration.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, the organisation said the remarks by Mohammed, who is the national leader of APM, were significant because he had previously endorsed Makinde and described him as the leader Nigeria needed.

It said the Bauchi governor’s assessment of Tinubu’s administration was an indication that the opposition to the President was not as cohesive as portrayed by supporters of Makinde’s presidential bid.

The statement quoted the campaign organisation as saying, “If one of the principal promoters of Makinde’s presidential ambition truthfully admits that President Tinubu is doing well, what exactly is the justification for Makinde asking Nigerians to replace the President?”

The organisation lauded Mohammed for acknowledging what it described as the achievements of the Tinubu administration, arguing that his comments were more credible than what it called “contrived rhetoric” surrounding Makinde’s presidential campaign.

It also claimed that Tinubu’s reforms were strengthening the fiscal position of states and enabling subnational governments to undertake development projects.

According to the organisation, Mohammed’s comments had also raised questions about the cohesion and sustainability of the political coalition backing Makinde’s presidential ambition.

The campaign organisation alleged that Makinde’s aspiration appeared less like a serious pathway to the presidency and more like a bargaining strategy aimed at enhancing his negotiating position ahead of the 2027 political realignment.

It said, “Makinde’s candidacy is increasingly becoming clearer as a smokescreen for negotiation, more like an attempt to arrive at the political bargaining table claiming a national following that simply does not exist.”

The organisation questioned how Makinde could convince Nigerians that he could defeat an incumbent president when prominent figures within his political camp were publicly acknowledging the President’s performance.

It also argued that a presidential bid required structures, numbers, credibility and alliances, rather than billboards, campaign offices and declarations.

The campaign organisation urged Makinde to concentrate on his stewardship in Oyo State and prepare for the transition of power in 2027 instead of pursuing what it described as an “improbable presidential project.”

It said residents of Oyo State were more concerned about the governor’s legacy, including the state’s debt profile, local economy, infrastructure, education, healthcare and workers’ welfare.

The organisation acknowledged that Makinde had a constitutional right to aspire to the presidency but cautioned him against confusing ambition with viability and publicity with popularity.

“Governor Makinde is free to aspire to the highest office in the land. That is his constitutional right. But he should not mistake ambition for viability, publicity for popularity or political bargaining for a genuine national movement,” it added.