Makinde Picks Ex-DSS DG Lawal Daura as Running Mate for 2027 Presidential Election

The presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has selected former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde announced Daura’s selection on Thursday at the APM elective national convention held at the Rilwanu Adamu Square, Government House, Bauchi.

Daura replaces Ibrahim Bala, who was previously announced as Makinde’s running mate but was reportedly intended to serve as a placeholder.

The former DSS director-general recently joined the APM after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he had sought the party’s governorship ticket in Katsina State.

Explaining the choice of Daura, Makinde said the former security chief was deliberately selected to help address Nigeria’s security challenges.

At the convention, Yusuf Dantalle was re-elected as the national chairman of the APM, while Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed was inaugurated as the party’s national leader.

Makinde said the opposition’s task ahead of the 2027 election should go beyond simply seeking to defeat the ruling party, arguing that Nigerians deserve a credible alternative based on measurable plans and results.

“As we approach 2027, therefore, I believe the task before all of us is bigger than winning an election. It is to give Nigerians a real choice about the future of their country,” he said.

He urged the newly elected leadership of the APM to collaborate with other opposition parties to build a formidable platform ahead of the election.

Makinde said the 2027 election should focus on issues such as poverty reduction, job creation, education, healthcare, security and economic opportunities rather than political slogans and government announcements.

According to him, Nigerians should judge economic policies by their impact on purchasing power, employment policies by the availability of productive jobs and security policies by whether citizens can live and work without fear.

“The 2027 election must be an election about outcomes. For too long, we have measured governance by announcements. We are presented with policy after policy, rather than evidence of whether those policies have made people’s lives better,” Makinde said.

The governor also called for restructuring of the Nigerian federation to devolve more powers, decisions and resources to states and local governments, alongside stronger accountability.

He further advocated a political culture where disagreements do not turn opponents into enemies and where opposition parties offer Nigerians clear alternatives rather than merely seeking to remove incumbents.

Bala Mohammed, who was inaugurated as the APM national leader, expressed confidence in the Makinde-Daura ticket, describing Makinde as the best presidential candidate for Nigeria.

He said the party would pursue inclusive governance and accommodate Nigerians across ethnic, religious and regional divides.

Dantalle, after his re-election, said Nigeria possessed the resources and potential to become a prosperous nation but had been held back by leadership challenges.

He called on Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones to support the APM’s ambition of building a stronger, more prosperous and united country.