Ayomide Awe
The presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, Seyi Makinde, has condemned the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, describing it as a “carnival of deceit, recycled lies and brazen political fraud.”
Makinde accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to secure re-election with unfulfilled promises while Nigerians continue to grapple with economic hardship, rising poverty, unemployment and insecurity.
The APM candidate’s criticism followed the APC campaign rally held in Kaduna on Saturday, where he alleged that the ruling party was attempting to repackage failed promises and offer fresh assurances to a region he said had suffered under the current administration.
In a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communications of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, Richard Ihediwa, the opposition candidate said the rally offered Nigerians little evidence of meaningful progress under Tinubu’s leadership.
He argued that the North, in particular, had been battered by insecurity and economic difficulties, accusing the President of seeking another mandate without adequately addressing the challenges confronting the region.
Makinde also faulted Tinubu for allegedly blaming the opposition for poverty in the country, describing the position as an attempt to evade responsibility for the administration’s economic policies.
He accused the President of plunging Nigeria into a severe economic crisis, arguing that the hardship experienced by citizens contradicted the administration’s promises of improved living conditions.
The APM candidate further criticised the government’s handling of youth unemployment, saying Tinubu had promised young Nigerians a better future but had instead presided over conditions that had left many struggling with joblessness, desperation and disillusionment.
Makinde cited the August 2024 protests against hunger, recalling that some demonstrators, including minors, were arrested in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Gombe and other states before being taken to Abuja and charged with treason.
He argued that the treatment of the protesters raised questions about the administration’s commitment to addressing the grievances of young Nigerians.
The opposition candidate also took aim at the commissioning of a partially completed 88-kilometre section of the Abuja-Kaduna Highway during the campaign rally.
He described the development as a “comedy of absurdity”, questioning why the President would commission the road project within the stadium instead of visiting the construction site.
Makinde suggested that the decision raised questions about the administration’s claims concerning improved security in the North, although he did not provide independent evidence to establish that insecurity was the reason for the President’s decision.
“It is either the President was afraid of insecurity or fears the boiling volcano of popular anger against his failed government,” he said.
He also cautioned Tinubu against presenting the commissioning of a section of the highway as the completion of the entire Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway.
According to him, the commissioning of part of an inherited project should not be portrayed as the delivery of the entire road infrastructure.
“President Tinubu cannot claim the whole when he is commissioning a part. He cannot turn an inherited project into personal glory,” Makinde added.
Makinde equally criticised the reported deployment of a large number of security personnel to the rally venue, arguing that a government confident of its popularity should not need to turn a campaign event into what he described as a security operation.
He maintained that the APC had failed to provide convincing reasons for Nigerians, particularly voters in the North, to support Tinubu for another term in the 2027 presidential election.
According to the APM candidate, the President’s assurances of “prosperity, continuity and progress” were insufficient to convince Nigerians who were experiencing economic hardship and security challenges.
Makinde’s remarks add to the growing political exchanges ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition figures increasingly questioning the Tinubu administration’s record on the economy, infrastructure and national security.
However, the allegations contained in the campaign statement represent Makinde’s position, and the statement did not include a response from the Presidency or the APC to the specific criticisms.
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