News Investigators/ Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde and presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) has held strategic talks with the party’s South-West governorship candidates.
Laja Adeoye, APM governorship candidate in Lagos State, made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
Mr Adeoye said the meeting focused on strengthening the party’s structures and coordinating grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the meeting was attended by Bimbo Adekanmbi, APM governorship candidate in Oyo, Prince Laja Adeoye of Lagos and TPL Rotimi Babajide of Ogun.
He added that the APM’s governorship candidate from Osun State also participated in the strategic meeting.
According to him, discussions centred on intensifying preparations and consolidating the party’s presence across the South-West geopolitical zone.
Mr Adeoye said the party was particularly focused on Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states as strategic areas for building electoral strength.
He said the objective was to transform the states into “reliable strongholds” for the APM ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Lagos candidate said the party also planned to expand its influence beyond the South-West as part of its broader national mobilisation strategy.
Mr Makinde emerged as the APM presidential candidate after securing the party’s ticket at its presidential primary held in Ibadan.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Makinde emphasised the need to “restore hope” and “rebuild public confidence” in the country.
He also pledged to pursue practical reforms in key sectors, including oil and gas, agriculture and the broader economy.
Adeoye said Makinde had earlier declared his presidential ambition on the APM platform in May 2026.
He said the decision followed internal crises and unresolved legal challenges within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, the development necessitated the strategic movement of Mr Makinde’s political structure and candidates to the APM platform.
Mr Adeoye said Mr Makinde’s emergence had attracted endorsements and expressions of support from various groups and political stakeholders.
He said the Lagos APM chapter had endorsed Makinde as its preferred consensus opposition presidential candidate.
The Lagos candidate attributed the endorsement to Makinde’s record in infrastructure, healthcare, education and fiscal management in Oyo State.
He also noted that Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, had publicly endorsed Makinde’s presidential candidacy.
Mr Adeoye said APM members in Osun had equally affirmed Mr Makinde as their preferred presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
He added that the party had continued to receive “growing cross-party goodwill” and interest from opposition elements seeking a unified alternative platform.
NAN