The Allied Peoples' Movement (APM) has officially selected Ibrahim Adamu Bala, a 51-year-old from Bauchi State, as the running mate to its presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, for the 2027 general election. The confirmation emerged from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) candidate nomination portal, which listed Bala as the party's vice-presidential candidate.
South-North Ticket Takes Shape
Bala, a native of Bauchi State in northern Nigeria, completes a South-North presidential ticket with Makinde, who hails from the South-West. A senior APM official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Makinde had successfully filed his presidential nomination, which required a running mate to be attached. "You cannot submit your presidential nomination without a running mate. The nomination has been filed," the official stated.
The party has yet to issue an official statement regarding the selection, but the INEC portal provides authoritative confirmation.
Clarifying Bala's Identity
The APM official moved quickly to dispel any confusion between Ibrahim Adamu Bala and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, whose name had been previously linked to the ticket in some reports. The official described any association as a case of mistaken identity, emphasizing that the two individuals only share similar names.
"There is no connection at all. They only have similar names. The running mate is Ibrahim Adamu Bala, not Bala Mohammed. I laughed when I saw the report because I knew people would confuse the two," the official explained.
Governor Bala Mohammed, the source added, is focused on pursuing a Senate seat rather than a vice-presidential bid.
Makinde's Path to the APM Ticket
Governor Makinde, currently serving his second and final term as Oyo State governor, publicly declared his presidential ambition on May 14 at a joint rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan. The rally was co-organized by his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM. During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two parties at the PDP South-West Zonal Secretariat.
Makinde stated that the alliance intended to field candidates across all elective positions, from the presidency down to state assembly seats, and called on opposition forces to unite ahead of the 2027 election. He formally accepted the APM presidential ticket on May 30 in Ibadan, outlining key campaign priorities that include tackling insecurity, unemployment, hunger, and the rising cost of living. He also pledged to restructure Nigeria's security framework, arguing that states should be granted greater authority to manage security challenges within their jurisdictions.
Political Context
The announcement comes amid broader political maneuvering for the 2027 elections. Earlier, the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a formal step by submitting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima's presidential nomination forms to INEC. The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, received the completed forms at a ceremony in Abuja, where Hon. Ibrahim Masari, the President's Special Adviser on Political and Other Matters, submitted them on Tinubu's behalf.
As of the time of this report, neither the APM nor Makinde's campaign had released a formal statement confirming the running mate selection, leaving the INEC portal as the primary source of confirmation.
