A member of the House of Representatives, Akin Alabi, has claimed that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is not genuinely interested in becoming Nigeria’s president in 2027.
Alabi, who represents Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency, made the claim during an interview on Flair 103.3FM in Ibadan on Tuesday.
According to the lawmaker, Makinde’s presidential campaign was primarily aimed at boosting the political prospects of his preferred candidate for the Oyo State governorship election, Bimbo Adekanmbi.
Alabi argued that Adekanmbi would struggle to win the governorship race without Makinde remaining prominent in the 2027 political contest.
“Everybody knows that Seyi Makinde has no plan to become president; he just wants to be in the conversation because he knows his candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, can’t contest alone,” Alabi said.
He also argued that Adekanmbi would face a difficult contest against the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, without Makinde’s presidential bid providing a wider political platform for the APM campaign.
However, Makinde has publicly declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The governor announced his presidential bid on May 14, 2026, at a joint Peoples Democratic Party and Allied Peoples Movement mega rally at Mapo Hall, Ibadan.
Makinde said he would contest under the PDP/APM alliance, which he described as an arrangement aimed at providing opposition candidates across the different levels of government for the 2027 elections.
He later secured the APM presidential ticket and has continued campaigning ahead of the election.
In August, Makinde selected former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, as his running mate, replacing Ibrahim Bala, who had earlier been announced as a placeholder.
Makinde has also endorsed Adekanmbi, a former Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, as the APM governorship candidate.
Adekanmbi’s candidacy has become a major part of the political contest in Oyo, with Makinde campaigning for his preferred successor and expressing confidence that he can defeat the APC candidate, Sharafadeen Alli.
Alabi, however, maintained that Makinde’s presidential ambition was largely a political strategy intended to improve Adekanmbi’s chances in the Oyo governorship election.
