The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, has proposed a framework to ensure that additional revenue generated from crude oil earnings above the national budget benchmark translates into improved welfare for Nigerians.
Makinde said the benefits of increased oil revenue should go beyond government savings and allocations to directly improve citizens’ living conditions.
He made the proposal on Wednesday in Abuja while unveiling his Reset Agenda manifesto ahead of the January 16, 2027, presidential election.
The event, held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, was attended by his running mate, Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura, and the APM National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle.
Makinde argued that Nigeria, despite its abundant natural and human resources, had no justification for allowing its citizens to remain poor.
He said economic reforms and macroeconomic stability would amount to little if they failed to improve the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
“For us, macroeconomic reforms must translate into improvements in people’s lives,” he said.
The governor identified the disconnect between economic reforms and citizens’ welfare as one of the major challenges confronting the country, insisting that increased government revenue must produce tangible benefits for the population.
He also called for greater accountability in government spending, stressing that policy promises must be backed by clear implementation strategies, measurable targets and functional institutions.
Makinde pledged to establish performance targets within his first 100 days in office if elected president, saying his administration would prioritise measurable results and accountability.
On electricity, the APM candidate urged Nigerians to hold the Federal Government accountable for its promise to improve power supply, arguing that the transfer of electricity regulatory powers to states did not absolve the Federal Government of its responsibility to address challenges in generation and distribution.
He said his presidential ambition was driven by the need to tackle Nigeria’s development challenges and restore the vision of the country’s founding fathers.
According to him, his administration would focus on improving the living conditions of millions of Nigerians, particularly those in rural communities, expanding opportunities irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliations, and strengthening public institutions.
“We must develop people’s abilities and expand their access to opportunities. We must also have institutions that work,” he said.
On electoral reforms, Makinde proposed that presidential candidates should secure more than 50 per cent of votes cast to emerge victorious, arguing that the arrangement would encourage broader political cooperation and consensus-building.
He also advocated a transitional government of national unity and a national conference where Nigerians could deliberate on the country’s challenges and agree on a common direction.
In his remarks, Makinde’s running mate and former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura, criticised what he described as the suppression of opposition political parties, insisting that a level playing field was necessary for the sustenance of democracy.
Earlier, the APM National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, said the 2027 general election should not be viewed merely as an opportunity for the party to win political power but as a defining moment for the future of millions of Nigerians.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain neutrality and ensure peaceful, free and credible elections.
Dantalle also described electoral fraud as the worst form of banditry, warning that undermining the electoral process would threaten the country’s democratic development.
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