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Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential campaign organization has challenged President Bola Tinubu to personally address Nigerians, account for his administration’s record and defend his policies before seeking a second term in the 2027 presidential election.
The campaign organization said “there should be no second term without accountability,” accusing Tinubu of trying to avoid direct engagement with voters after allegedly failing to deliver on key promises made during the 2023 presidential campaign.
The challenge followed Tinubu’s indication that he may not accompany the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign team on its nationwide tour of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, saying he would remain focused on governance.
The President inaugurated the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday and said the party is ready to seek a fresh mandate. The Presidency argued that governance should not be allowed to stall due to electioneering.
But Makinde’s campaign organisation, in a statement released on Thursday by its director of strategic communications, Richard Ihediwa, said the president’s decision to limit his participation in the campaign raised fundamental questions about accountability to the electorate.
The organization argued that a president calling on Nigerians to renew his mandate should be ready to appear before them and explain the achievements of his administration during his first term.
“A president who believes he has accomplished well should be confident in defending his accomplishments to the people,” the campaign says.
He accused Tinubu of using governance as an excuse to avoid facing Nigerians over the consequences of his administration’s policies.
Makinde’s campaign intensified its attack by saying Tinubu should reconsider his candidacy if he lacked the stamina to campaign across the country.
“If President Tinubu is so tired that he cannot go around the country canvassing votes, then he should withdraw from the race,” the organization said.
He argued that Nigerians were not prepared to continue with what he described as an “absent and lethargic” presidency, insisting that the country needed an energetic leader who could directly engage citizens.
The campaign also claimed that Tinubu’s decision not to campaign extensively could reinforce concerns that the APC was unwilling to subject its achievements to direct public scrutiny.
“The decision not only constitutes a grave affront to the Nigerian electorate, but also constitutes a caricature of democratic ethics,” he said.
The organization also said the president was reluctant to address voters due to growing resentment over economic hardship, insecurity and other challenges facing the country.
He said the President should use the campaign period to take responsibility for his administration’s decisions and explain them directly to Nigerians rather than leaving the task to political allies and campaign surrogates.
Criticism of Makinde’s campaign focused heavily on the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of gasoline subsidies and the floating of the naira.
He accused the Federal Government of implementing policies without adequate protection for vulnerable Nigerians, resulting in increased cost of living and decreased purchasing power.
“The reckless elimination of petrol subsidies, poorly executed floating of the Naira and other policies without adequate protection for vulnerable citizens have thrown millions of families into dire straits.
“Hunger has intensified, purchasing power has eroded, and poverty has become an unbearable reality for countless Nigerians,” the report said.
The campaign also criticized the administration on electricity supply and tariffs, claiming that Nigerians had experienced worsening electricity supply by paying higher electricity tariffs.
He argued that the sacrifices imposed on citizens by the reforms had not been accompanied by sufficient improvements in their living conditions.
The campaign organization also accused the Tinubu administration of failing to deliver on its promise to improve national security.
It was alleged that terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal groups continued to attack communities, kill Nigerians and hold citizens hostage.
“Massive failures in security, economic management and governance explain why President Tinubu is reluctant to take his re-election campaign directly to Nigerians,” it reads.
The organization argues that the president should personally answer citizens’ questions about security, economic hardship, employment and the general state of the country before asking them for another term.
In a separate newsletter published on Thursday, Makinde himself expanded the criticism, arguing that the success of economic reform should ultimately be measured by its effect on the Nigerian population.
He acknowledged that removing oil subsidies and adopting a more flexible exchange rate regime are based on economic arguments, but said the sequence and human consequences of such policies are equally important.
“Policies tell you what a government wants to change. The order in which it chooses to make those changes tells you how that government thinks.
“There are never enough resources for the government to meet all needs at once. So, leadership is about what you choose to do first, what you are willing to put off, and who bears the cost of those choices,” he said.
The Oyo governor said his administration, which began in 2019, has prioritized workers’ salaries, pensions and inherited gratuity obligations, while simultaneously pursuing infrastructure development.
“We could have said the government needed money for infrastructure and asked workers and pensioners to wait. Instead of choosing between paying people and building infrastructure, we chose to do both.
“We have paid salaries consistently. We have regularized pension payments. We have started paying off inherited tip arrears,” he said.
Makinde said staff costs accounted for about 70% of Oyo State’s federal revenue during the four years, adding that his administration has subsequently adopted alternative modes of financing to execute infrastructure projects.
He cited the alternative approach to project financing, whereby contractors financed selected projects up front and were reimbursed by the state within an agreed period.
“Returning to our leadership test, you can clearly see what we chose to do first: meet our obligations. And we accepted the fiscal cost of that choice,” he said.
Makinde argued that macroeconomic improvements alone could not constitute evidence of the success of economic reforms.
“Reform isn’t just about fixing numbers. It’s also about how people survive the transition,” he said.
He said poverty increased from about 56% in 2023 to about 62% in 2026, which he said translates into about 23 million more Nigerians living in poverty.
Makinde acknowledged that the federal government had highlighted World Bank and International Monetary Fund assessments showing improvements in macroeconomic stability, but argued that those gains had not translated quickly enough into jobs, poverty reduction and improved living standards.
“These 23 million are not just numbers. They are our parents, neighbors, friends and children. Macroeconomic stability has not translated at the same rate into jobs, poverty reduction and improved living standards for most Nigerians,” he said.
He argued that one presidential term was enough for Nigerians to evaluate a leader’s priorities and determine whether the administration deserved another term.
“And if, after four years, a leader has not been able to make those choices work for the people, Nigerians have every right to say: let’s try someone else,” he said.
