Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said he is qualified to lead Nigeria amid growing reports linking him to the 2027 presidential race.
Governor Makinde made the remarks on Tuesday during a media parley with selected journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
He said his experience as a two term governor and his professional background as an engineer place him in a strong position.
“Let me make this very clear: to serve this country at the highest level, I am qualified – I’m even overqualified,” the governor said.
“I ran Oyo State, even the current president – what brought him to the table? He was governor of Lagos State for two terms. By the end of May 2027, by God’s grace and God sparing my life, I will have completed the full tenure as a two-term governor of Oyo State.”
Makinde also cited his private sector experience, saying he ran a company at a young age and worked with multinational oil firms.
“Professionally, I ran a company from a very young age. At 29, some of my colleagues were still finishing their youth service. I ran the company, and people can go out there and check – I did not go to NNPC or the likes. I was working for multinational oil companies, including Shell, ExxonMobil, and Chevron,” he said.
Despite the speculation, the governor said it was too early to focus on the 2027 presidential election, noting that Nigeria needs a strong democracy and viable opposition parties.
He criticised the defection of governors and other senior politicians to the ruling All Progressives Congress, saying it weakens democratic competition.
Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, is in his second and final term as governor.
He confirmed that he will not support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, unlike in 2023 when he backed the APC candidate.
Seyi Makinde said he regretted supporting Tinubu in the last election.
“I said it earlier, I’m human. I supported the current president, even though in another party at that time, because I thought we’ll do what is right for the country,” he said.
He added that he had expected the president to “reset the country” and assemble competent hands from across Nigeria.
“But unfortunately, that is not what we’re seeing. I regret that action. Yes, I do,” Makinde stated.
The governor was part of the G5 group of PDP governors who worked against their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in 2023 over zoning concerns.
The group was led by former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Makinde said his current priority is the survival of the PDP, which he said has been weakened by the defection of governors and lawmakers.
He also explained the political rift between him and Wike, tracing it to a meeting involving President Tinubu.
“I was in a meeting with President Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, and others when Wike volunteered to hold the PDP for Tinubu against 2027, and I was in shock,” Makinde said.
“Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not.”
In a further explanation, he added, “I was in a meeting with the President and Wike and a few others, and Wike said to the President that I will hold PDP for you against 2027. So, we got up, and I asked Wike, did we agree to this?”
Makinde said while Wike is free to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, other PDP members also have a right to protect the party and oppose actions that could weaken Nigeria’s democracy.
