By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka in Abuja
In the heart of Bauchi on Friday, two governors sat across from each other and spoke not just as state chief executives, but as architects of a national ambition. Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, played host to his Oyo State counterpart, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the presidential flagbearer of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM. What emerged from the closed-door meeting was more than courtesy. It was an endorsement, a strategy session, and a public declaration: the APM believes it has the structure, the ideas, and the leadership to take Nigeria forward in 2027.
Governor Mohammed did not mince words. He declared that the Allied Peoples Movement is fully equipped to lead the country to greater heights should Makinde emerge victorious in the 2027 presidential election. For a sitting PDP governor to back the candidate of another party, the statement immediately reset conversations about opposition politics ahead of the next general elections.
The Bauchi governor said the party has successfully developed the necessary internal capacity to provide high-quality national leadership. According to him, the APM is no longer a fringe platform. It is steadily establishing its presence as a credible, major force for national development with institutions and people ready to govern.
The meeting, Mohammed explained, was part of a long-standing tradition of peer review and strategic collaboration among sub-national leaders. Governors, he noted, must constantly learn from one another to elevate governance standards across states. And in Makinde, he said he had found a model worth studying.
He expressed immense confidence in Makinde’s administrative capabilities. “With the Oyo State governor working tirelessly as the presidential candidate alongside the support of the party’s leadership, the organization is well-positioned to drive the nation forward,” Mohammed stated. He pointed to discipline, delivery, and vision as qualities he sees in the Oyo governor.
The admiration was specific. Governor Mohammed said he has personally drawn valuable insights from Makinde’s approach to governance in Oyo State. He singled out the aggressive infrastructure drive — particularly the visible transformation of regional roads and aviation facilities — as examples of how targeted investment can change a state’s economic trajectory.
Beyond praise, Mohammed said the APM is purposefully repositioning its structures to offer viable, institutional solutions to Nigeria’s current socio-economic challenges. He described the party as steadily emerging as the country’s leading opposition voice — one committed not to criticism for its own sake, but to constructive alternatives.
For his part, Governor Makinde said he traveled to Bauchi to consult directly with Mohammed on pressing national issues. Top on the agenda were internal party arrangements, widespread regional insecurity, and the broader future of democracy in Nigeria.
Makinde expressed gratitude to the government and people of Bauchi State for their exceptionally warm hospitality. He also noted a deep, foundational ideological bond with Governor Mohammed, describing both leaders as believers in governance that delivers tangible results to citizens.
The Oyo governor described the consultation as highly productive. He said he was fully briefed during the session and would be taking back strategic ideas to implement within his own state administration. The exchange, he suggested, was proof that nation-building must start with collaboration across party and regional lines.
As 2027 approaches, Friday’s meeting in Bauchi may be remembered as an early signal of realignment in Nigeria’s political space. With a PDP governor publicly throwing his weight behind an APM presidential candidate, and both leaders speaking the language of capacity, infrastructure, and national unity, the message was clear: the contest for Aso Rock will not just be about party symbols, but about who Nigerians believe can govern.
