Makinde campaign says Tinubu is 'Pharaoh' who cannot lead Nigeria to promised land
- Seyi Makinde's campaign accused President Tinubu of insensitivity after his remark that Nigeria cannot return to Egypt.
- The campaign said hunger, high food and transport costs and insecurity have worsened under the APC-led government.
- It urged voters to back Makinde's APM bid and his RESET Nigeria Agenda in the 2027 election.
The campaign organisation of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has hit back at President Bola Tinubu over his recent reference to Egypt, saying a leader it likened to a "modern-day Pharaoh" cannot take Nigeria to the promised land.
The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) said this in a statement on Wednesday signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa. Makinde is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The statement followed comments by the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, when he hosted a support group and ruled out a return to fuel subsidy, saying Nigeria could not go back to Egypt.
What the campaign is saying
Ihediwa said the President's remark had made Nigerians equate his government with a "modern-day Pharaoh under whose rule Nigeria has become a land of bondage". He accused the administration of refusing to heed the complaints of struggling citizens.
"Pharaoh cannot lead the people to the promised land. What Nigeria has seen under Tinubu is suffering, not progress. There is hunger in the land and people are tired," the statement said.
The campaign listed soaring food prices, transport fares and rents, falling purchasing power, unemployment and what it called inadequate funding of healthcare as evidence that households are under pressure. It also raised concerns about rising tuition in federal tertiary institutions and growing reliance on student loans.
On security, it accused the Federal Government of failing to protect citizens from banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, saying attacks on communities, schools, places of worship and highways have left many Nigerians anxious.
It further alleged that respect for the rule of law, free expression and accountability has weakened, and accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of putting the interests of political leaders above those of ordinary citizens. These are the campaign's allegations; the presidency has not responded in the reports reviewed.
The alternative on offer
The MDPCO said Makinde's RESET Nigeria Agenda is built around inclusive governance, transparency, better security, job creation and a more efficient public service. It argued that he had shown capacity in Oyo State and would repeat it nationally.
The campaign also claimed that more than 103 million Nigerians registered for the 2027 general elections, which it said shows voters are eager for change. It urged them to reject the APC and support Makinde.
Earlier, at an APM town hall in Akwa Ibom, Makinde said Nigeria was "not working" and promised reforms in education, security, the economy and fiscal federalism. He also accused the Federal Government of withholding about ₦250 billion due to each state from Nigeria LNG dividends, and challenged it to publish its petroleum pricing template. Those claims have not been independently confirmed in the reports.
What happens next: The 2027 campaigns are heating up, and the back-and-forth over fuel subsidy, taxes and the cost of living is likely to shape how Nigerians vote.
