Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has pledged to devolve more powers to the states if elected president, saying the move would enable them to tackle insecurity and other challenges more effectively.
Makinde made the pledge on Tuesday, September 22, at the APM Northwest Consultative Meeting in Daura, Katsina State, where he unveiled key areas of his proposed “Reset Nigeria” agenda.
He said his administration would reset the economy, education, healthcare, security and the country’s sociopolitical system, while ensuring that the economy operates round the clock to boost production, entrepreneurship and competitiveness.
According to him, Nigeria’s abundant natural resources must be complemented by skills, knowledge, entrepreneurship and intensive production.
“Our economy must work 24/7. Otherwise, if our economy shuts down at 7 or 8 o’clock in the evening, we cannot compete with economies that are running 24/7,” he said.
On insecurity, Makinde said there was a need to review the country’s security architecture and devolve certain responsibilities currently on the Exclusive Legislative List to the states.
He specifically cited mining, arguing that states should have greater responsibility over the sector, with the Federal Government retaining an oversight role.
“We need to focus on the demand side. Legitimise the operation. Right now, you have in our constitution, on the exclusive list, the issue of mining. Devolve that responsibility to the states and let there be oversight only at the federal level. They will do better,” he said.
The APM presidential candidate also said his administration would seek to address the country’s education challenges through better data collection, including determining the number of out-of-school children and developing measures to bring them into the education system.
Makinde, who urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, said voters should use the 2027 elections to demonstrate that Nigeria was bigger than individuals.
He also pledged to operate strictly within the provisions of the Constitution, citing Section 145 and promising to transmit power to the Vice-President whenever he is unavailable.
“I promise you that as your president, I will follow the constitution to the letter. If I am not going to be available, if I am on vacation, I will transmit power to the vice-president. Record this and hold me accountable,” he said.
Makinde stated further his campaign would be issue-based, adding that the APM would take its “Reset Agenda” to the six states of the Northwest on a state-by-state basis.
The presidential candidate also responded to a claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, concerning funding for the upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan.
Makinde maintained that the airport project had so far been fully undertaken by the Oyo State Government.
The meeting was attended by the APM Vice-Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Lawal Daura; National Chairman, Yusuff Mamman Dantale; members of the party’s National Working Committee; APM candidates across the six Northwest states and other party stakeholders.
