Seyi Makinde says the APM can reset Nigeria in four years, outlining proposed reforms to security, education, the economy and governance
Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, said in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Monday, September 28, 2026, that Nigeria could undergo a major institutional and economic reset within four years if he is elected president in 2027.
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Makinde made the declaration at the APM North-Central Town Hall Meeting, where he presented aspects of the party’s proposed agenda for addressing insecurity, education, economic productivity and the country’s socio-political structure.
The governor said his proposed administration would introduce a new security architecture, develop a different approach to education and seek to make the economy more productive through the use of data, science and logic.
“The reset agenda can be concluded in four years,” Makinde said.
He pointed to Nigeria’s history of rapid ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The campaign has been taking its “Reset Nigeria” message across the country’s six geopolitical zones, with the North-Central meeting following an earlier engagement in Katsina.
political change as an example of what could be achieved within a relatively short period.
“We had someone who was head of state in this country for 10 months, and he was able to end military rule and usher in the democracy we now enjoy in Nigeria,” he said.
Makinde said his proposed administration would also pursue what he described as a transitional government of national unity.
“So, as your president from May 29, 2027, we will run a transitional government of national unity that will culminate in new players and an agenda for Nigeria’s sustainable development,” he said.
The Lafia meeting formed part of the APM’s nationwide town hall programme ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The campaign has been taking its “Reset Nigeria” message across the country’s six geopolitical zones, with the North-Central meeting following an earlier engagement in Katsina.
The APM’s broader agenda is built around four principal areas: the economy, education, security and socio-political development.
Makinde has previously said the proposed programme would seek to move Nigeria towards greater productivity, strengthen human capital and review the country’s security arrangements.
On security, Makinde criticised what he described as inadequate planning around the Federal Government’s response to insecurity, particularly in the North-Central region.
He questioned the budgetary provision for additional Army divisions established by the Federal Government.
“Midway into 2026, insecurity is a big issue, especially in the North-Central zone. They set up army divisions, and I was looking at the 2026 budget. For the item relating previously said a future administration would need reliable data on the number of children currently out of school before developing targeted to the setting up of those army divisions, I did not see it,” he said.
Makinde called for greater clarity over how the new formations were being funded, arguing that security measures should be supported by proper planning and adequate financial provisions.
Security reform has been a recurring element of Makinde’s campaign.
During an earlier APM town hall in Katsina, he proposed changes to Nigeria’s security architecture and argued for greater involvement of state governments in security and mining-related issues.
Education is another central component of the proposed reset.
Makinde has previously said a future administration would need reliable data on the number of children currently out of school before developing targeted interventions to bring them back into education.
He has also linked education reform to skills development and the wider goal of building a productive economy.
On the economy, Makinde questioned whether increased federal allocations to state governments had translated into meaningful improvements in living standards.
“Yes, they claim the state government has more money from the federation account. I’m not arguing that we have more money, but has it translated to fighting hunger in our society? The answer is no,” he said.
He also drew on Oyo State’s finances to illustrate his argument about the effects of changes in the national economy.
Makinde said Oyo’s dependence on federal allocations stood at more than 80 per cent when he became governor in 2019 and was reduced to’s dependence on federal allocation was 80+ per cent; we worked really hard to bring it down to about 65 per cent in 2022, then came the statement ‘subsidy is about 65 per cent by 2022.
He said the subsequent removal of fuel subsidy had contributed to the state’s dependence returning to almost 80 per cent.
“When I came in as Oyo state governor in 2019, the state’s dependence on federal allocation was 80\+ per cent; we worked really hard to bring it down to about 65 per cent in 2022, then came the statement ‘subsidy is gone’… the resultant is that today, Oyo state is back to almost 80 per cent dependent on federal allocation,” he said.
Makinde described the situation as “voodoo economics”, reflecting his criticism of the economic consequences of the Federal Government’s policies.
His campaign has positioned economic productivity as a central part of its proposed national reset.
The APM’s published agenda says the party wants to build an economy that creates jobs, supports enterprise and improves household prosperity, while placing greater emphasis on skills, knowledge and production.
Makinde’s four-year proposal is therefore broader than an economic programme, covering the security architecture, education system, governance and socio-political structure.
The APM candidate emerged as the party’s presidential candidate at its primary in Ibadan in May 2026.
He selected former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Musa Daura, as his running mate, bringing security experience into the ticket’s campaign messaging.
The party’s town hall meetings are now providing a platform for Makinde and his campaign team to explain the proposed reset agenda directly be sufficient, in would depend on the policies eventually adopted, available resources, institutional cooperation and the decisions of to voters across the country.
At the North-Central meeting, his message was that four years would be sufficient, in his view, to establish the foundations for significant changes across several areas of national life.
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Whether the proposed reforms could achieve the scale and timeframe outlined by Makinde would depend on the policies eventually adopted, available resources, institutional cooperation and the decisions of voters at the 2027 election.
