Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that he possesses the capacity to lead Nigeria as President come 2027.
Makinde made this known during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.
He emphasised that his achievements as governor have proven his ability to occupy the nation’s highest office.
“I don’t have any doubt that I have the capacity to occupy the highest office in this land, and I have what it takes,” he said.
However, Makinde noted that while he believes in his ability, he remains uncertain about whether it aligns with the will of the people or his party at this time.
“But is it what I want to do right now? Is it what Nigerians are asking for? Is it what my party will say we should do? I don’t know. We still have a long time to go,” he added.
The governor stressed that the immediate priority for leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party is to rebuild and stabilize the party.
“Where we are right now is, you know, we must fix our party. You must have a platform for you to even aspire to be anything,” Makinde stated.
He also asserted his commitment to purposeful governance and rejected populist politics, saying no one would dictate his political direction.
“Right now, I am focusing on what people, what they’ve given to me, the task ahead of us, and so, I’m not distracted, and I will not play stunt politics,” he said.
Makinde made it clear that any future political move he makes would be rooted in thorough preparation and a strong sense of responsibility.
“One thing you should expect from Seyi Makinde is that he will never come out to say, ‘Look, I want to do this, do X, Y, Z,’ without preparation and without being held accountable for whatever it is that I say I want to do,” he said.
Reflecting on his political journey, Makinde said he was content with how far he hasdcome.
“If my political journey ends right here, I am also very happy. When I joined politics in 2007, I wanted to go to the Senate. I wanted to be a senator.
“But now, not only have I achieved more than that by being the governor of my state, I’ve also cherished the opportunity that people gave to me to make my own little difference.”
