The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has expressed confidence in winning the 2027 presidential election, saying he has God and Nigerians on his side.

Makinde spoke on Sunday during a church service at the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Jos, Plateau State, where he said his ambition was not backed by any political godfather but by God and the Nigerian people.

In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the governor said his presidential ambition was driven by the need to reset Nigeria through effective leadership and address challenges in security, the economy, education and the socio-political system.

The statement quoted Makinde as recalling how he declared his intention to become Oyo State governor in 2018 despite lacking the backing of a political godfather.

“When I said in Oyo State in 2018 that I would like to be governor, somebody asked me, ‘Governor of which Rotary District?’ I said Governor of Oyo State, and they asked, ‘With no godfather; nobody in politics who can stand in for you?’ I responded by saying, ‘Well, I have God the Father. And I became the Governor of Oyo State.

“This time around, we also have God the Father, and God will be merciful unto Nigeria, and He will show us mercy in this country,” he said.

Makinde said his administration in Oyo State had been guided by planning, transparency and accountability, with development road maps covering his two terms between 2019 and 2027.

He added that his Reset Nigeria Agenda, prepared ahead of the 2027 election, focused on four major areas: security, the economy, education and the socio-political system.

Presenting the manifesto to the church leadership, the APM candidate urged Nigerians to hold him accountable for his promises, insisting that his commitments had been documented.

“I want Nigerians to be able to hold me accountable, not just through promises but through documented commitments. Everything is written down in black and white, and I am prepared to be held accountable for everything contained in this document,” he said.

He also urged Nigerians, particularly Christians, to participate actively in politics and prepare to exercise their electoral choices in 2027.

“Please, get ready and participate. History is about to happen again,” he added.

The President of COCIN, Rev. Dr Amos Mohzo, urged Makinde to address Nigeria’s major challenges, particularly worsening insecurity and economic hardship, while praying for his success in the presidential election.

Mohzo also encouraged the governor to sustain his campaign, expressing hope that God’s will would prevail.

Makinde, who flagged off his presidential campaign in Bauchi State on Saturday, was in Jos ahead of the party’s Plateau State rally scheduled for Monday at Rayfield Park.

Speaking on a live political programme on Jay FM in Jos, the governor also argued that Nigeria needed a complete reset rather than minor reforms to address its challenges.

He identified the economy as the foremost priority, insisting that economic performance should be measured by the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians rather than official indicators alone.

“Reform is possible when the good within a system outweighs the bad. At that point, you can say the system can be tweaked and improved. But when the good within the system accounts for only about 20 per cent of what you expect, then the best course of action may not be to tweak it,” he said.

Using a computer system as an analogy, Makinde said a system that repeatedly fails may require a complete reboot rather than continuous adjustments.

He argued that economic progress should be reflected in people’s ability to afford food and meet their basic needs.

“The economy must work for everybody. It is not about taking numbers out and saying external reserves have grown or quoting what the World Bank said about inflationary trends.

“What is the ordinary man on the street feeling? Are they able to feed themselves? If you cannot feel the impact of an improving economy at the street level, then the economy is not getting better,” he said.

The governor called for increased investment in skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, education and local production, stressing that Nigeria must create an enabling environment for businesses to grow and provide employment for its youthful population.

On security, Makinde promised to decentralise the country’s security architecture through the establishment of state police if elected president.

He said state police would enable governors to respond more effectively to security challenges in their jurisdictions, adding that states willing and ready to establish the system should be allowed to do so with appropriate safeguards.

The governor recalled that he had advocated state police shortly after assuming office in 2019, following growing security concerns across the country.

According to him, he and other governors had approached former President Muhammadu Buhari towards the end of 2019 to propose the establishment of state police, but concerns were raised about the ability of some states to pay workers’ salaries.

Makinde said South-West governors subsequently established the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, as an interim arrangement.

“Amotekun was a midway between having full-fledged state police and having nothing,” he said, explaining that the security outfit initially relied on intelligence gathering and cooperation with federal security agencies.

He acknowledged concerns that state police could be abused by governors to intimidate citizens and political opponents but maintained that adequate safeguards could address such risks.

“Those concerns are legitimate because some people believe it could become a tool in the hands of state governors to oppress the people.

“But we have gone through this type of arrangement before. We do not all have to establish state police at the same time.

“Let the opportunity exist. If you think you are ready, you have ticked the boxes and put the safeguards in place, you should go ahead and secure your state,” he said.

Makinde also linked insecurity to the lack of economic opportunities for young Nigerians, warning that unemployment and the absence of a clear future could fuel crime and conflict.

He said Nigeria’s population was projected to exceed 300 million, with more than 70 per cent expected to be below 34 years, stressing the need for deliberate policies to harness the potential of young people.

The governor also defended his decision not to impose a total lockdown in Oyo State during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, saying he considered the economic consequences for residents who depended on daily earnings to survive.

He recalled arguing at a National Economic Council meeting that a compulsory lockdown would leave many residents without food, adding that states were eventually allowed to decide whether to impose restrictions.

Makinde said his decision was based on science, data and logic, noting that some residents faced the difficult choice of risking infection or going hungry.

He maintained that the experience demonstrated the importance of allowing states to adopt policies that reflect their peculiar circumstances, drawing a parallel with his proposal for state police.

On education, Makinde reaffirmed his belief in the vision of the late former Premier of the Western Region