Makinde’s socio-political reset

By Richard Ihediwa

Whether one agrees with him or not, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Engr. Seyi Makinde, is providing a pragmatic pathway for the rebirth of Nigeria with his RESET Nigeria agenda, anchored on four cardinal pillars of Economy, Security, Education and Socio-political Reset.

While Makinde’s RESET Economy Agenda offers a penetrating diagnosis of Nigeria’s decades-long economic malaise with bold, actionable prescriptions for recovery after a catastrophic deterioration under the Tinubu administration, his Socio-political Reset is an ambitious blueprint for national emancipation, reconciliation and democratic renewal; a bold reawakening of the nationalist ideals and nation-building vision championed by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Makinde understands that Nigeria’s crisis is not exclusively economic or security-related but fundamentally, a crisis of national consensus, political legitimacy and institutional accountability. The RESET therefore seeks to address these structural contradictions by rebuilding the foundations of the Nigerian state through dialogue, federalism, inclusion and responsible governance.

The RESET Nigeria is the product of extensive reflection, broad-based consultations and engagement with Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones through a series of town hall meetings. Makinde recalled a particularly defining moment at the North-East Town Hall in Bauchi.

According to him, a supporter challenged him to demonstrate he could match the nation-building achievements of Nigeria’s founding fathers if elected President. According to him, the challenge deepened his determination to offer leadership that reflects Nigerians’ aspirations and expectations. At the unveiling of the manifesto in Abuja, he declared: “We want a country that works for Nigerians, irrespective of their place of birth, ethnicity or religion.”

At the heart of the socio-political component of the RESET NIGERIA is the conviction that Nigeria cannot overcome its persistent national contradictions without first achieving a broad-based national consensus on how the country should be governed.

He therefore proposes a National Conference within its first year in office, to bring together representatives of government, political parties, ethnic nationalities, religious groups, professional bodies, traditional institutions, civil society and other segments of society to openly examine the country’s challenges and collectively determine its future direction.

The National Conference is not necessarily the transitional government itself. Rather, it is the principal mechanism through which the transitional government seeks to establish national consensus and legitimacy.

He rightly reasoned that rather than imposing another set of policies on a deeply divided nation, the transitional government will create an inclusive platform to discuss differences, negotiate competing interests and reach mutually acceptable agreements on the fundamental questions of national governance, constitutional arrangements, institutional accountability and national development.

This process will constitute the institutional foundation of Makinde’s proposed transitional government, providing the platform through which competing national interests can be reconciled and a broadly accepted framework for governance negotiated. The objective is to secure collective ownership of the country’s political and developmental direction, thereby giving subsequent government policies greater legitimacy and public acceptance.

An equally important dimension of the RESET is the restoration of public interest as the overriding consideration in lawmaking and governance. Makinde’s position is that legislation must serve the collective welfare of Nigerians rather than self-preservation of those occupying public office. This requires a departure from legislative patronage and self-serving public expenditure to institutions that promote fairness, justice, transparency and accountability.

The argument is particularly significant in a political environment where public resources are frequently exposed to competing demands from political interests and private beneficiaries. Under the RESET philosophy, public institutions must cease to function as instruments of political patronage. The underlying principle is that public office is a trust, not an entitlement, and legislation must advance the interests of the people.

The proposed political restructuring also recognises Nigeria’s diversity as a potential source of national strength rather than an enduring obstacle to unity. It therefore advocates inclusive politics and a robust multi-party democratic system that allows diverse political viewpoints to flourish.

A particularly significant proposal is the introduction of a 50 per cent-plus-one threshold for presidential electoral victory. Makinde argues that a President should command majority support rather than emerge through a narrow plurality in a fragmented political environment. His concern is that a candidate who secures only a relatively small proportion of the votes cast may assume office without the broad political legitimacy necessary to govern a diverse country such as Nigeria.

Explaining further, Makinde said, “I believe it is fundamentally wrong for someone to emerge as President of Nigeria with less than 33 % per cent of the votes in a system where the remaining voters may have voted against him. When someone emerges under such circumstances, he may form government and begin compromising the political system itself.

He may start asking other political actors to collapse the mandate they received from other political parties to join his government. Where those political actors resist, they may be subjected to pressure.

“They did that to Governor Bala Mohammed and myself, but we insist on standing on the side of the Nigerian people. Therefore, to become the President of Nigeria, a candidate must secure at least 50 per cent plus one vote. That way, candidates and political parties will have to engage in discussions across party lines and other divisions to secure the support needed to form a government that commands the respect of the majority of Nigerians.”

Besides, the RESET manifesto identifies over-centralisation as a major source of Nigeria’s structural problems and advocates a return to true federalism while also tracing the country’s governance crisis to the dishonesty, incompetence and lack of accountability among the ruling class, particularly its unwillingness to accept responsibility for policy failures. The RESET recognises that honesty is fundamental to accountable governance, while leadership incompetence exacts its heaviest toll on ordinary citizens, who bear the consequences of administrative failures.

Makinde illustrated this governance incompetence while speaking at the ECWA Church in Jos, Plateau State. “The government knows that petroleum products could be sold at lower prices, but fears they might be smuggled out of Nigeria. Why should Nigerians be made to suffer higher prices because of the government’s inability to police its borders effectively?” The significance of this illustration extends beyond petroleum pricing.

Ultimately, Makinde’s Socio-Political RESET presents national rebirth as a deliberate process of rebuilding the foundations of the Nigeria where national dialogue, political inclusion, electoral reform, true federalism and institutional accountability are interconnected elements of a broader democratic reconstruction.

• Ihediwa is the Director of Strategic Communication, Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation.