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Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s “Emi Lokan” slogan, insisting that the choice of Nigeria’s next president should be determined collectively by Nigerians.
Makinde argued that no individual or region should treat the presidency as an entitlement, warning against what he described as “turn-by-turn nepotism” ahead of the 2027 general election.
The governor made the remarks on Thursday during the APM town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, where he presented his position on leadership, national unity and the party’s proposed agenda for the country.
Questioning the idea behind Tinubu’s slogan, Makinde recalled the 1999 presidential election, when voters in the Southwest largely supported Olu Falae while voters across other parts of the country backed Olusegun Obasanjo.
“How can someone say, ‘Eemi lokan’, in a country like Nigeria? You were given the opportunity.
“If you recall the 1999 presidential election, the South-West voted massively for Baba Olu Falae, but the rest of Nigerians voted for Baba Obasanjo,” he said.
Makinde maintained that decisions about the country’s leadership should not be left to one geopolitical zone, stressing that all Nigerians should have a say in determining who leads the country.
“So, this is not an issue that only the South-West can resolve; it is an issue we must address collectively as Nigerians,” he added.
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The governor also warned that allowing political power to revolve around the idea of whose turn it is could undermine development and prevent the country from getting value for public resources.
“We do not want ‘turn-by-turn nepotism’, nor do we want a situation where people say, ‘I will vote for projects because it is my turn’.
“You will not finish those projects, and when it becomes someone else’s turn, they will do the same thing,” Makinde said.
He argued that such an approach could leave the country with unfinished projects and limit the effective use of resources meant to improve the lives of citizens.
Presenting his Reset Nigeria agenda, Makinde said his vision was to build a country where infrastructure development supports economic growth and responds to the needs of young people and women.
He added that addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges would help ensure that development reaches all regions and population groups.
“Once we fix our economy, no zone will be left behind, and no demographic group will be left behind,” the governor said.
