The Makinde/Daura Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has cautioned state campaign coordinators against appointing unsuitable polling agents, warning that their choices could affect the prospects of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is the APM’s presidential candidate, with former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Lawal Daura, as his running mate.
The Director-General of MDPCO, Hon. Felix Hassan Hyat, gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while inaugurating state campaign coordinators in the North-Central Zone.
He described polling agents as critical to protecting the campaign’s interests at polling units and urged coordinators to prioritise loyalty, competence and commitment when selecting them.
Hyat warned that appointing the wrong people could undermine the campaign’s efforts, regardless of the strength of its grassroots mobilisation.
He said coordinators should not appoint even their relatives if they could not trust them to perform their duties effectively and support the party’s candidate on election day.
ALSO READ: 2027: Makinde/Daura campaign alleges plot by APC to access unclaimed PVCs
The director-general said, “Elections are fought, won and lost at the polling units. Our polling unit managers and agents can determine our fate.
“Therefore, if I know that an agent can determine my fate, I must also be careful about the kind of agent I appoint. If I appoint an agent who is not capable of doing the job, I should not be surprised by the outcome.”
He also called for unity among campaign officials and party leaders, saying effective coordination at the ward, local government and state levels would be necessary to communicate Makinde’s message to voters nationwide.
Hyat noted that the campaign had limited time before the election and urged coordinators to demonstrate commitment and make sacrifices to achieve their objectives.
He added that grassroots mobilisation should extend beyond polling units to households and communities.
The MDPCO director-general also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, alleging that elected representatives who claimed to hold office on the President’s mandate had abandoned the Nigerians who voted for them.
He expressed confidence in Makinde’s candidacy, describing him as a capable leader, and urged campaign officials to remain focused despite the challenges ahead of the 2027 election.
In his remarks, the Deputy Director of Operations, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, emphasised the importance of grassroots mobilisation, describing state campaign coordinators as “field commanders” responsible for taking the candidate’s message to households across the country.
Aziegbemi said the campaign’s message centred on four pillars: the economy, education, security and Nigeria’s socio-political system, which he described as interconnected issues affecting Nigerians.
He accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of worsening poverty through its economic policies.
Citing figures he attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Aziegbemi said 35 million Nigerians went to bed hungry every night.
He said the campaign intended to reach millions of Nigerians affected by economic hardship, adding that a Makinde/Daura administration would prioritise food security and measures to reduce poverty.
“We need to reach at least 15 million of these people who go to bed hungry every night. We owe Nigerians a duty to lead them out of that misery and ensure that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry anymore,” he told the coordinators.
Aziegbemi directed the state coordinators to begin compiling lists of house-to-house canvassers and polling unit agents, giving them two weeks to complete the exercise.
He said the lists would be reviewed after submission, as the campaign organisation works to establish its grassroots mobilisation and polling-unit structures ahead of the election.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV