Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared his readiness to collaborate with opposition parties and prominent political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Makinde made his position known during an interview with ARISE News anchor, Ojy Okpe, aired on Friday, where he confirmed that discussions were ongoing among opposition leaders to establish a possible alliance capable of challenging the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said he was personally involved in the discussions, stressing that opposition figures were exploring different political arrangements ahead of the presidential election.
“Discussions among opposition figures are ongoing, and I am actively involved in efforts to determine the most viable political arrangement ahead of the election. We are still discussing,” he said.
Although Atiku and Obi were among the opposition figures mentioned in connection with the proposed alliance, Makinde declined to identify either of them as his preferred presidential candidate.
He argued that selecting a candidate should involve a careful assessment of available evidence rather than decisions driven by emotions, personal relationships or political sentiments.
Makinde said opposition leaders would need to examine the manifestos presented by potential candidates, their records in public office and the views of Nigerians before deciding on the most suitable person to challenge Tinubu.
“We will sit down. We may have a historical performance. We also have the sentiment of the people. All of those things will come together and arrive at a decision,” he added.
“Depending on what we see between now and the election time, we may be rivals, we may be collaborators, we may be — one may be the client of the other,” he said.
