Makinde APM campaign council
Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Seyi Makinde, will on Friday inaugurate the party’s presidential and governorship campaign council in Ibadan as preparations intensify for the 2027 general election.
The inauguration is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2026, at the Conference Room of the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The formation of the Makinde APM campaign council represents a major step in the governor’s attempt to organise his political structure in his home state before extending campaign activities to other parts of the country.
Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Suleimon Olanrewaju, announced the appointments in a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Nureni Adeniran, will serve as the Oyo State Coordinator of the APM presidential campaign.
Adeniran will also serve as the Director-General of the party’s governorship campaign council in the state.
The dual appointment places Adeniran at the centre of the Makinde APM campaign council, with responsibility for coordinating both the presidential ambition of Makinde and the governorship campaign of the APM candidate in Oyo State.
The party has presented a former Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Bimbo Adekanmbi, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Adekanmbi emerged as the party’s consensus candidate during its governorship primary held at the Watershed Event Centre in Ibadan in May.
Adeniran named campaign coordinator
Under the newly announced campaign arrangement, Adeniran is expected to coordinate political mobilisation, strategy, communication and stakeholder engagement across Oyo State.
The statement also named Saheed Arowosaye, a former chairman of Oyo East Local Government Area, as Deputy State Coordinator of the APM presidential campaign.
Arowosaye, popularly known as AROSAD, is expected to support Adeniran in coordinating the presidential campaign structure across the state.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Demola Ojo, was appointed Deputy Director-General for Oyo South Senatorial District.
Dr Femi Ojo will serve as Deputy Director-General for Oyo Central, while Siju Lawal will coordinate activities as Deputy Director-General for Oyo North.
Ramata Agberemi Dabo was named Director of the Women’s Wing of the campaign, while a former Special Assistant on Youth to Governor Makinde, Kazeem Bolarinwa, will serve as Director of the Youth Wing.
Additional appointments to the Makinde APM campaign council are expected to be announced as the party expands its structure across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State.
The composition of the council shows an attempt to distribute campaign responsibilities among the state’s three senatorial districts while also creating separate structures for women and young voters.
Makinde begins building campaign machinery
Makinde’s planned inauguration of the council comes nearly two months after he emerged as the APM presidential candidate.
The governor was affirmed as the party’s consensus presidential candidate at its national convention held at the Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, University College Hospital, Ibadan, on May 30, 2026.
In his acceptance speech, Makinde said his presidential ambition was driven by the need to restore public confidence and introduce practical reforms capable of improving the lives of Nigerians.
He promised to focus on security reforms, economic recovery, agriculture, transportation and the restructuring of critical national institutions.
The inauguration of the Makinde APM campaign council will therefore mark a transition from the declaration and nomination stage to the development of an organised political machinery.
Although Makinde is currently serving his second term as governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, he emerged as the presidential candidate of the APM following a political partnership involving elements of the PDP and the APM.
The alliance has been presented by its promoters as a broader opposition platform that will field candidates for the presidency, governorship positions, National Assembly seats and state Houses of Assembly.
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Adekanmbi leads Oyo governorship ticket
While Makinde seeks the presidency, Adekanmbi will lead the APM governorship ticket in Oyo State.
Adekanmbi served as Commissioner for Finance under the administration of the late former governor Abiola Ajimobi.
He was adopted as the APM’s consensus governorship candidate following the party’s primary election in May.
During his acceptance speech, Adekanmbi promised to maintain the development agenda of the Makinde administration while introducing policies aimed at improving security and economic opportunities.
He described continuity, unity and cooperation as essential to sustaining development across Oyo State.
The Makinde APM campaign council will consequently operate as a combined political structure, promoting Makinde at the presidential level while mobilising support for Adekanmbi in the Oyo governorship contest.
This arrangement may allow the party to share campaign resources, political networks and grassroots structures across the state.
It also suggests that Makinde intends to make Oyo State the operational base of his presidential campaign before building a wider national organisation.
Oyo becomes centre of Makinde’s presidential bid
Oyo State is expected to play a central role in Makinde’s presidential campaign because it remains his strongest political base.
Makinde was first elected governor in 2019 and secured a second term in 2023. His political organisation has since expanded across local governments, state institutions and community structures.
However, a presidential election presents a substantially different challenge from a state governorship contest.
To become competitive nationally, the Makinde APM campaign council will need to build support beyond Oyo State and the South-West geopolitical zone.
The campaign must also establish structures across northern Nigeria, the South-East, South-South and North-Central regions while competing against better-established national political organisations.
Makinde is expected to present his record in Oyo State as evidence of his administrative capacity.
His supporters have pointed to infrastructure projects, transport initiatives and public-sector reforms undertaken by his administration.
His opponents, however, are expected to scrutinise his performance on security, debt management, education and the overall condition of the state economy.
The inauguration on Friday will give Makinde an opportunity to define the responsibilities of campaign officials and outline his strategy for the months ahead.
Campaign council faces major political task
The political task before the council is considerable.
The APM is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, but it does not currently command the nationwide structure of Nigeria’s largest political parties.
The party will therefore need to recruit volunteers, strengthen state chapters and communicate Makinde’s policy proposals to voters who may not be familiar with its candidates.
The Makinde APM campaign council will also have to manage relations among politicians coming from different political backgrounds.
The partnership between figures associated with the PDP and the APM could provide a larger political network, but it could also create questions about party loyalty, decision-making and the distribution of campaign responsibilities.
Makinde and the campaign leadership will be expected to clarify whether the alliance represents a temporary election arrangement or the beginning of a more permanent political realignment.
The party will also need to explain how its presidential and governorship candidates intend to respond to the concerns of voters over rising living costs, insecurity, unemployment, infrastructure and public services.
Focus turns to Friday’s inauguration
Attention will now shift to Friday’s inauguration, where Makinde is expected to formally present the campaign officials and outline their responsibilities.
The event may also provide further details about the campaign’s grassroots strategy, policy direction and proposed expansion beyond Oyo State.
Adeniran’s appointment gives him considerable responsibility within the emerging structure.
As coordinator of the presidential campaign and director-general of the governorship campaign, he will be required to manage two connected but distinct electoral operations.
His ability to coordinate political leaders, local government structures, women, young people and community organisations could influence the performance of both Makinde and Adekanmbi in Oyo State.
For Makinde, the inauguration of the Makinde APM campaign council is more than a ceremonial event. It represents the first major test of whether his political organisation can develop from a state-based structure into a credible national campaign.
The success of the council will depend on its organisation, message, membership and ability to mobilise voters across party and regional lines.
As the 2027 election approaches, Friday’s event is expected to offer a clearer indication of how Makinde intends to pursue his presidential ambition and position the APM as a serious contender in Nigeria’s increasingly competitive political environment.
