The Director-General of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, Felix Hyat, has warned Nigerians, particularly young people in the North, against voting for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, describing the president as a “wrong product from the South-west” that should be replaced with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate, Seyi Makinde, also from the region.
Mr Hyat said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the inauguration of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, where he also criticised northern youths for repeatedly supporting politicians seeking the presidency while younger aspirants remain sidelined.
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He said although every Nigerian had the constitutional right to contest for political office, young people in the North should question whether repeatedly supporting older politicians seeking multiple presidential bids serves their interests.
“Everybody has the right to aspire to any of these positions, no doubt about it. But for goodness sake, the teeming young people in the North, talented, agile, active, would they now fold their arms and allow one person who wants to be president for three times, even if he doesn’t get it, for four times, even if he doesn’t get it, will you hold your arms until you are also old? That means you don’t have a future,” he said.
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Mr Hyat argued that since Mr Tinubu, from the South-west, is already serving the first four years of his administration, the North should allow a southerner to complete what he described as an eight-year southern tenure.
“We all know Nigerians are saying, let the South complete its eight-year tenure. And if the South is going to complete its eight-year tenure, we know that the North now has the responsibility, even if not constitutionally, but morally, to support it and make sure it goes that way due to the interest of Nigeria as one indivisible country,” he said.
He also challenged the South-east, which he said was seeking four years in the presidency, to consider the aspirations of younger politicians from the region.
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Mr Hyat said the APC administration had failed Nigerians despite producing a president from the South-west, arguing that the solution was not to reject the region but to replace Mr Tinubu with another candidate from the same region.
“We are crying today; the president is from the South-west. Is the South-west not crying? Is the South not crying? So, we have a wrong product from there that will have to change. And we have to replace him with a good product, Seyi Makinde from the South-west,” he said.
He described Mr Makinde and the APM vice presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, as tested politicians capable of addressing Nigeria’s insecurity and other challenges.
Mr Hyat said the campaign was not merely a political exercise but a responsibility to future generations, urging young Nigerians not to allow religion, ethnicity or regional sentiments to determine their political choices.
“This is not the responsibility of only the campaign management committee; it is not the responsibility of only the APM, but the responsibility of Nigerians to serve themselves,” he said.
“Because nobody is going to protect it for you. If you follow it, either based on religion, or tribal sentiments, or regional things, it is you who is going to cry tomorrow.”
Daura targets 68.7 million votes
Speaking at the event, Mr Daura said the campaign would target at least two-thirds of the more than 103 million registered voters ahead of the 2027 election.
He described the target as a “herculean task” but said the campaign would rely on canvassing and presenting its candidates and programmes to voters rather than electoral malpractice.
According to him, the campaign would ensure that its activities complied with the Electoral Act while warning politicians planning to manipulate the election that “they have a surprise coming.”
Mr Daura said the campaign was seeking to “reset” Nigeria, arguing that the country’s existing political and governance structures needed to be reviewed, amended or replaced.
He said the campaign had therefore assembled a team of people with experience, focus and determination to deliver victory for the party.
“We are aiming to get nothing less than two-thirds of the 103 million,” he said.
“A lot of those that are thinking that there is a way to get votes other than canvassing for them, telling the people how qualified you are, your programmes and the rest of it, maybe there are those who may think there is a shortcut. Well, this time around, the struggle is for real.”
He added: “We must make sure that everything is done in accordance with the law and the Electoral Act. And for those who really want to rig, that they can pull a fast one, well, they have a surprise coming.”
Campaign team inaugurated
Mr Hyat was appointed director-general of the National Campaign Management Committee of the Makinde-Daura Campaign Organisation.
Inna Ciroma, a former minister of Women Affairs, was appointed deputy director-general, Administration, while Anthony Aziegbemi was appointed deputy director-general, Operations.
The campaign said its leadership would work with the party’s National Leader and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle and other party leaders to coordinate its national campaign.
READ ALSO: Opposition can still unite behind single candidate for 2027 APM chieftain
Other members of the campaign management team are Hamza Koshe, director, Contact and Mobilisation; Mark Jacob, director, Legal and Compliance; Ade Adeagbo, director, Administration and Strategy; Richard Ihediwa, director, Strategic Communications; and Yusuf Alkali, director, Finance.
Others are Emmanuel Dennis, director, Volunteers, Special Interests and Support Groups; Suleiman Kankia, director, Security and Intelligence; Toyin Balogun, director, Women Coordination; Umar Ndabrama, director, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Documentation; Armstrong Adah, director, Youth Coordination; and Adeyemi Moyegun, director, Organisation and Coordination.
Babangida John, a retired commissioner of police, was appointed deputy director, Security and Intelligence.
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