2027: Makinde Picks Ex-DSS DG Daura as Running Mate, Rallies Opposition

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has picked former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), announced Daura’s selection on Thursday at the party’s elective national convention held at Rilwanu Adamu Square, Government House, Bauchi.

Daura replaces Ibrahim Bala, who was earlier announced as Makinde’s running mate but was reportedly selected as a placeholder.

The former DSS director-general recently joined the APM after leaving the African Democratic Congress, following his failure to secure the party’s governorship ticket in Katsina State.

Explaining the choice, Makinde said Daura was deliberately selected because of his experience and the need to address Nigeria’s security challenges.

At the convention, Yusuf Dantalle was also re-elected as national chairman of the APM.

Makinde urged the newly elected leadership to collaborate with other opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election, saying a strong opposition was essential for democracy.

“As we approach 2027, therefore, I believe the task before all of us is bigger than winning an election. It is to give Nigerians a real choice about the future of their country,” he said.

The governor said the election should focus on measurable improvements in citizens’ lives rather than political slogans, promises and government announcements.

He argued that economic policies should be assessed through their impact on ordinary Nigerians, particularly their purchasing power and ability to afford basic necessities.

“When our mothers go to the market, they don’t experience economic policy as a statistic. They experience it in what their money can buy,” Makinde said.

He also said employment policies should be judged by whether young Nigerians could secure productive jobs and build independent lives, while agricultural policies should be assessed by their impact on farmers.

On security, Makinde said Nigerians were more interested in whether they could travel, work, farm and sleep without fear than in the number of security meetings held by government officials.

“Families do not judge security by the number of meetings government has held. They judge it by whether they can travel, farm, work and sleep with their two eyes closed,” he said.

Makinde said poverty reduction, job creation, education, healthcare and security should dominate the 2027 political debate.

He urged opposition candidates to explain what they would do differently and provide measurable targets Nigerians could use to assess their performance if elected.