Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election. The announcement was made on Thursday at a grand rally held at the historic Mapo Hall in Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of the state.
Unity Mega Rally Ibadan 2026
The event, tagged the Unity Mega Rally Ibadan 2026, drew a large crowd of party supporters, stakeholders, and political allies. It served simultaneously as the official launch of Seyi Makinde's presidential bid and the public unveiling of a political alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State.
Makinde, who has governed Oyo State since 2019 and was re-elected in 2023, now enters the presidential conversation as one of the more prominent figures in the PDP's early permutations for the race. He joins a field that already includes Peter Obi, who this week publicly committed to a one-term presidency if elected, and Sokoto Governor Ahmad Aliyu, among others.
PDP-APM Alliance and Candidate Unveiling
The Ibadan rally also served as a platform for unveiling candidates seeking state and national elective positions on the APM platform. Among those presented were former Oyo State Commissioner for Finance Bimbo Adekanmbi, named as the party's governorship candidate, and senatorial candidates Stanley Olajide, Olufemi Ajadi, and Shina Peller. House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates were also unveiled at the event.
The rally was preceded by the signing of a formal agreement between leaders of the APM and the Taminu Turaki faction of the PDP, setting out the terms of their alliance. The partnership reflects a broader pattern of political reshuffling across the state, following a wave of resignations by officeholders from the PDP to the APM in the months leading up to the event.
Political Implications
Makinde's entry into the race is expected to intensify consultations within opposition structures as the parties move toward primaries. Political observers say his declaration repositions the Oyo governorship as a launchpad for national ambition, a move that will sharpen scrutiny of his record and his ability to build coalitions beyond the Southwest. Reactions are expected to follow from across the political spectrum in the coming days.
