Obi, a 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra State, made a solidarity appearance at the event, assuring that while the campaigns were already in motion, opposition candidates were also prepared to support any of them who eventually became the president next year.
APM’s national leader and 2027 Bauchi-South senatorial candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed; Oyo state Deputy Governor, Adebayo Adeleke Lawal; the party’s vice presidential candidate, Mr Lawal Daura; the National Secretary, Chief Ayodele Adebayo; a former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Zainab Maina; and former governor of Niger state, Dr Babangida Aliyu, were among the dignitaries as the Oyo governor made his speech.
Makinde told the gathering that he was on a mission to reset Nigeria and engage Nigerians in a ‘conversation about the future’ of the country.
According to him, the campaign, tagged, ‘Reset Nigeria’, was designed to give Nigerians a voice in shaping the country’s future.
‘Today, we are not just opening a campaign office. We are opening another door for Nigerians to join the conversation about the future of our country,’ he told his supporters.
On petroleum pricing and the raging debate on fuel subsidy, Makinde clarified that his position on the pricing of crude oil for domestic refining should not be interpreted as a call for the return of fuel subsidy.
‘That is not my position (return of fuel subsidy),’ the Oyo governor stressed, arguing that crude produced in Nigeria should not be priced for Nigerian refineries as though it had been imported from outside its shores.
The presidential candidate noted that Nigeria’s crude oil must provide ‘a real and measurable benefit to Nigerians’, adding that such benefit should be built into the system through the price at which crude is supplied for domestic refining, rather than through ‘opaque interventions’ after costs and inefficiencies had accumulated.
The governor also demanded greater transparency across the petroleum value chain, covering crude production and allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins.
‘Nigerians should know what they are paying for, who receives what and where inefficiencies are increasing the final price,’ he told the session, highlighting the policy focus of his administration should he win the election next year.
The governor said resetting Nigeria also meant ending corruption and making government accountable for its decisions and use of public resources.
‘It means that government must show its workings,’ he said, stressing that improvements in the country’s wealth must translate into better living conditions for Nigerians.
Makinde dismissed suggestions that his campaign was insignificant, recalling that he faced similar doubts when he first sought to become governor of Oyo years back.
‘When they say today that this campaign does not count, I do not take it personally,’ he stated, arguing that dismissing the campaign amounted to dismissing the hopes of millions of Nigerians struggling with rising prices, unemployment, high business costs and other economic difficulties.
‘But we count. Our voices count. Our experiences count. Our ideas count. And, together, our votes will count,’ he said.
The governor commended and acknowledged the presence of Peter Obi and other opposition personalities from the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), explaining that it reinforced the unity among the opposition to bring change to Nigeria in 2027.
Opposition not desperate, we want Nigerians to make their choices, says Obi
In his goodwill message, Obi told the session that the opposition was not desperate for power ahead of the 2027 presidential election, stressing that Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their preferred candidate.
Obi, who declared that Makinde was qualified to contest the presidency, said the opposition was more interested in giving Nigerians the opportunity to make their choice than in pursuing power at all costs.
‘What we are doing today is to show you that, for us, we don’t have desperation. We want the people of Nigeria to make their choice,’ the former Anambra governor stated.
He added that whoever emerged winner in a free, fair and credible election would receive the support of other political actors to rebuild the country, saying, ‘Whoever they choose, all of us will come together to build a new Nigeria.’
‘We can’t all continue the way we are going today. Our people are hungry. Our people are poor. Our people are insecure. Whoever wins, genuinely, from a free, fair and credible election, we all want to work together to save this country from collapse.’
The NDC presidential candidate further stated that the opposition was seeking to introduce a new political culture centred on addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians rather than engaging in political quarrels and disagreements.
‘Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty. We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody…
‘I assure you that we remain united in our rescue for our dear country, Nigeria.’
Makinde/Daura will tackle insecurity, poverty – Dantalle
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of APM, Mr Yusuf Dantalle, said the Makinde/Daura ticket would address insecurity, poverty and other challenges confronting the country if elected into office next year.
He pointed out that the turnout at the inauguration reflected growing demand for leadership anchored on competence, accountability and concern for the welfare of citizens, the type only the APM could guarantee in the present circumstances of the country.
Dantalle said Makinde’s record as governor of Oyo state demonstrated his capacity to lead at the federal level, noting, ‘Be rest assured that Makinde will be President to all Nigerians as he has ably demonstrated as Governor of Oyo state.’
On the choice of Daura as running mate, the chairman explained that he was chosen partly because of his security background as a former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
‘With a competent vice presidential candidate, Daura, who once headed a critical security service in the country, insecurity will be tackled head-on’, Dantalle added.