Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has said that it is banking on support across opposition party lines to secure victory for its presidential candidate in the 2027 elections, Mr Seyi Makinde.

The party cited the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), particularly its Ekiti State chapter, for its adoption of Makinde as the candidate to support while the parties maintain their individual identities.

The party stated that the key target remained to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate, President Bola Tinubu, in 2027 and assume the mantle of leadership to run a government that catered most for the Nigerian people.

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The APM’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Abubakar Yusuf, spoke in Abuja on Sunday while commenting on the reaffirmation of commitment to the alliance by the Ekiti chapter of the PDP and the support for Makinde, who is the sitting Governor of Oyo State, to win the presidency in 2027.

On Friday, members of the PDP in Ekiti state and other supporters gathered in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, where they reaffirmed their adoption of Makinde for the presidential poll.

According to Yusuf, the reaffirmation signalled “a major boost to the determination of Nigerians to elect Governor Makinde as the next President of Nigeria, especially given the abysmal failures of the Tinubu-led APC administration.”

He spoke further, “We are working very hard and putting all our energy on this election because we are running to win. We have a good Presidential candidate in Governor Makinde who has already become the rallying point for Nigerians, especially the youth.

“As you are already aware, given Governor Makinde’s sterling performance, especially as governor of Oyo, Nigerians have accepted him as the credible alternative to President Tinubu, who has failed the nation in every ramification. So, we are in this election to win, and there is no going back.

“Since Engr. Seyi Makinde emerged as the APM presidential candidate, Nigerians from across the country are increasingly identifying with our party, with many of them expressing their readiness to mobilise support for the APM and its candidates.

“That is why we have been galvanizing cross-party support for our Presidential candidate, and I can confirm to you that our alliance talks with such like-minded political parties are yielding the desired results. So, we welcome the reaffirmation of support by the Ekiti Chapter of the PDP to our Presidential candidate, and I can tell you that you will hear more of such solidarity in the coming days.

“Nigerians are expressing support for Governor Makinde because of the distinct governance identity he has built in Oyo State. His administration’s record of performance in critical areas including the economy, security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and civil service welfare continues to attract national attention.

“So, we are not resting at all. We are focused on winning the election. We are building the numbers, we are strengthening the structure and we will run one of the most robust, issue-based and winning campaigns in the history of Nigeria. We welcome all Nigerians who share this vision to join the APM and be part of the movement for national renewal.”

He said the embrace of the APM by Nigerians was due to the party’s democratic principles and its “blueprint for accountable and transparent governance, improved security of lives and property, economic revival and sustainable development.”

Yusuf added that once in office, the APM would deliver on its promise to secure Nigeria and bring governance closer to the people.