Makinde blames Tinubu's 'poor planning' for hardship, unveils APM's Reset Nigeria Agenda
- Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde says federal economic policies were rolled out without plans to cushion their effect on Nigerians.
- The APM presidential candidate spoke on Bauchi Radio Corporation ahead of his campaign flag-off in Bauchi.
- He says his party's Reset Nigeria Agenda rests on four pillars, with the economy first.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has blamed the hardship many Nigerians are facing on what he called poor planning by President Bola Tinubu's administration, saying major economic policies were introduced without frameworks to soften their effect on citizens.
Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), spoke on Friday during a live interview on the Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC). He was in Bauchi to flag off his 2027 presidential campaign, which was scheduled for Saturday.
According to him, the difficulties Nigerians face began almost immediately after the present administration took office, because big policy decisions were announced without a clear plan for how they would be carried out.
He argued that reforms of such national importance need proper planning and coordination so that ordinary citizens do not bear the brunt of government policy.
Makinde also named insecurity as a major challenge, saying the country needs fundamental reforms to tackle both the economy and security.
What the APM is promising
The governor said these problems informed the party's Reset Nigeria Agenda, which he described as a documented policy framework and manifesto rather than a set of slogans.
He said the agenda is built on four pillars, with the economy ranked first, and that the aim is for government policies to translate into real improvements in people's lives.
"We want Nigerians to feel the impact of our policies, and that is precisely what we intend to address," he said.
Makinde said the plan was shaped by his own experience of problems with coordination and too much power sitting at the centre. He said the agenda also seeks to restore true federalism that recognises and respects Nigeria's many nationalities.
He said Nigeria's founding fathers negotiated a federal republic, meaning there are several nations within one nation, and that the country's diversity should be a source of strength rather than division.
He added that fixing the country's problems would take structural reforms and strong political will.
What happens next
Makinde's comments come as the 2027 campaign season gathers pace, with candidates moving across states to sell their plans. For voters, the debate is likely to centre on the cost of living, fuel and food prices, jobs and safety, the issues he says the Reset Nigeria Agenda targets.
The Tinubu administration has not responded to his claims in the reports reviewed here.
