The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has picked former Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Musa Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde announced Daura’s selection on Thursday at the APM’s elective National Convention in Bauchi, where he also called on opposition parties to unite around a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general election.

The governor said the opposition’s task was not simply to defeat the ruling party but to give Nigerians a genuine choice about the country’s future.

According to him, the 2027 election should focus on measurable outcomes and the impact of government policies on citizens rather than political promises and official announcements.

Makinde said Nigerians should assess the economy by their purchasing power, employment policies by the availability of productive jobs, and agricultural policies by farmers’ productivity and access to markets.

He also said security should be measured by whether Nigerians could travel, work, farm and sleep without fear.

“The question before Nigeria in 2027 should not simply be: What has the government done? It should be: What has changed for Nigerians?” he said.

Makinde urged the newly elected APM national leadership to work with other opposition parties to build a credible political alternative ahead of the election.

He also advocated the restructuring of the Nigerian federation to devolve more powers, responsibilities and resources to states and local governments.

The governor argued that Nigeria could not reach its full potential if decisions that should be taken at the state and local levels continued to depend on Abuja.

He identified poverty reduction, job creation, education, healthcare and security as key issues that should dominate the 2027 political debate.