Oyo governor promises reforms in education, security, economy
Akwa Ibom State -October 20, 2026
By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has declared that Nigeria is not working as it should, promising to reset the country through comprehensive reforms in education, security, the economy and fiscal federalism ahead of the 2027 general election.
Makinde made the declaration on Tuesday at the APM Presidential Campaign Organisation’s South-South town hall meeting in Akwa Ibom State, where he outlined his proposed agenda for addressing the country’s economic difficulties, insecurity and governance challenges.
The governor said Nigeria could not continue with policies that had failed to deliver meaningful improvements in the living conditions of citizens, insisting that the country needed a fundamental change in its approach to governance.
He described his proposed RESET agenda as a plan to rebuild the country and ensure that Nigerians benefited more directly from its abundant human and natural resources.
According to him, education and skills development would be central to economic prosperity, arguing that sustainable growth required investment in knowledge, productive capacity and opportunities for young Nigerians.
Makinde said his administration, if elected president, would also overhaul the country’s security architecture and address persistent security challenges, particularly militancy in the Niger Delta.
He acknowledged that militancy had reduced in the region but maintained that the underlying problems remained unresolved.
On the economy, the APM candidate advocated stronger support for entrepreneurs and private-sector investment, saying government alone could not provide all the jobs and economic opportunities required by the population.
He promised to introduce incentives, including tax relief for businesses, to encourage investment, expand production and create employment.
Makinde cited his administration’s experience in Oyo State, claiming that the state’s internally generated revenue had increased without additional tax burdens being imposed on citizens.
He also criticised the Federal Government’s tax policies, arguing that taxation should focus on wealth and economic productivity rather than worsen the hardship faced by poor Nigerians.
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“You are supposed to tax wealth. You are not supposed to tax poverty,” he said.
The governor further raised concerns over the sharing of dividends paid by Nigeria LNG into the Federation Account, alleging that state and local governments had not received their appropriate entitlements.
He claimed that nearly ₦250 billion due to each state from the accumulated Nigeria LNG dividend payments had been withheld by the Federal Government.
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Makinde insisted that revenues paid into the Federation Account should be distributed among the federal, state and local governments in accordance with the Constitution.
He challenged the Federal Government to clarify the handling of the funds and provide details of the amounts due to the different tiers of government.
The governor also questioned whether some of the Federal Government’s economic initiatives, including the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and the naira-for-crude arrangement, had translated into lower transportation costs for ordinary Nigerians.
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He called for greater transparency in petroleum pricing, urging the government to publish its pricing template to enable experts to assess the figures and recommend measures that could reduce the burden on consumers.
On the political front, Makinde expressed confidence that the APM would gain support in the South-South ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He said the opposition party was offering Nigerians an alternative to the country’s current political and economic direction.
Earlier, the APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, said Nigeria required a fundamental change in direction, citing insecurity, poverty and inequality as major challenges confronting the country.
Dantalle argued that the nation’s problems were rooted in deeper socio-economic and political failures that had left many Nigerians struggling to meet their basic needs.
He called on citizens to support the party’s proposed reforms, saying the country needed leadership capable of restoring public confidence and national pride.
The APM’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, also said the party intended to break what he described as a cycle of stagnation and restore dignity to Nigerians through reforms in education, security and the economy.
The Merit Newspaper reports that the party is positioning its proposed RESET agenda as a central campaign message ahead of the 2027 general election, with Makinde promising a different approach to national development if elected president.
