ABUJA — Seyi Makinde, the presidential candidate for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of constructing a state that serves only the interests of those in power. Speaking at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Jos, Plateau State, on Monday, the former Oyo State governor challenged the ruling government to account for its achievements over the past three years.
Makinde alleged that the current administration’s newly promoted “Reform to Prosperity” agenda was a repackaging of ideas previously advanced by the APM under its “RESET Agenda.” He urged voters to reject what he described as a government benefiting a privileged few, stating, “They have built a Nigeria that works only for them. Send the oppressors packing. Send them back to Lagos, and let us bring in the team that will reset Nigeria.”
“When we unveiled our RESET Agenda, I said in Abuja that they would soon start stealing our ideas. Now they have started. They say theirs is ‘Reform to Prosperity’. They now say they want a Nigeria that will work for everybody. What have they been doing over the past three years?”
Addressing local concerns, Makinde identified insecurity as a primary obstacle to Plateau State’s economic potential. He noted that the state’s pleasant evening weather made it a viable candidate for becoming a major tourism destination, provided security challenges were resolved. He promised that an APM government would prioritize security, tourism, and job creation to expand the local economy and provide employment for the state’s youth.
APM Vice-Presidential candidate Lawal Daura also appealed to residents to support the party, lamenting that recent insecurity had eroded Plateau’s historical reputation as a peaceful tourism hub. Daura recalled visiting the state at least three times a year in the past and asserted that the party was determined to restore the region’s lost appeal through its “resolute agenda.”
APM National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle criticized the Federal Government’s handling of the fuel subsidy removal, questioning whether the policy had delivered the promised improvements in living conditions. He cited rising living costs, food shortages, and insecurity as factors worsening hardship for households and farmers, stating, “Subsidy has been withdrawn... for one purpose: to give Nigerians a better life. But are we better off after that? We are paying through our noses.”
Concluding the rally, Makinde and Dantalle urged supporters to take the party’s message to the grassroots, emphasizing that electoral victories are determined at the polling-unit level. Dantalle described the APM as a “rescue platform” committed to equitable governance, urging Nigerians to spread the message that the party was composed of individuals dedicated to ensuring that resources belonging to the people are equitably returned to them.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
