Bala Mohammed’s praise for Tinubu exposes Makinde’s presidential bid as ‘smokescreen’- Alli campaign organisation
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential ambition under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), following comments by Bauchi State Governor and APM National Leader, Bala Mohammed, praising President Bola Tinubu’s performance.
The campaign organisation said Mohammed’s acknowledgement of Tinubu’s achievements had raised questions about the basis of Makinde’s presidential bid.
Mohammed had publicly acknowledged that Tinubu had “done so well” in several areas, particularly finance, health and security.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, Bisi Oladele, said the comments by Mohammed, whom he described as a key figure in Makinde’s political camp, contradicted the rhetoric surrounding the Oyo State governor’s presidential ambition.
“The question Nigerians should now ask is simple: if one of the principal promoters of Makinde’s presidential ambition truthfully admits that President Tinubu is doing well, what exactly is the justification for Makinde asking Nigerians to replace the President?
“The contradiction is glaring. Governor Mohammed deserves commendation for having the courage to acknowledge the truth rather than engaging in opposition for opposition’s sake.
“His remarks merely confirm what millions of Nigerians can increasingly see: President Tinubu’s reforms are producing results, strengthening the fiscal position of states and enabling governments at the subnational level to undertake development projects,” Oladele said.
The campaign organisation argued that Mohammed’s comments could have political implications for Makinde’s 2027 presidential ambition.
“For Governor Makinde, however, the political message could not be clearer. His presidential campaign is collapsing under the weight of its own contradictions before the real contest has even begun,” it said.
The organisation further alleged that Makinde’s presidential ambition was being used primarily as a bargaining tool in the unfolding 2027 political realignment.
“We have always maintained that Makinde’s so-called presidential ambition appears less like a serious pathway to Aso Rock and more like a political bargaining chip designed to enhance his negotiating position in the unfolding 2027 political equation,”
Oladele also described Makinde’s candidacy as a possible negotiating strategy, arguing that the governor was seeking to project a level of national support that he claimed was not reflected in the political landscape.
“How does a candidate seriously expect Nigerians to believe he can defeat an incumbent president when prominent leaders within his own political family are publicly applauding that President’s performance?
“Even more instructive is the fact that Governor Mohammed had previously endorsed Makinde and described him as the leader Nigeria needed. His latest acknowledgement of President Tinubu’s performance therefore raises legitimate political questions about the cohesion, conviction and sustainability of the so-called coalition behind Makinde,” the organisation said.
It said Makinde’s political activities, including the establishment of campaign offices and public declarations about his plans to “reset” Nigeria, would ultimately be tested against political structures, numbers, credibility and alliances.
“Makinde may continue to erect billboards, commission campaign offices and make grandiose declarations about ‘resetting’ Nigeria, but politics is ultimately about structures, numbers, credibility and alliances.
“A presidential candidate whose own political allies are validating the achievements of the incumbent has a serious credibility problem,” it added.
The campaign organisation consequently advised Makinde to focus on his administration’s record in Oyo State and prepare for the 2027 transition rather than pursue what it described as an unlikely presidential project.
“The people of Oyo State are more interested in his legacy — the state’s debt profile, the condition of the local economy, infrastructure, education, healthcare and the welfare of workers — than in a presidential adventure whose political foundations are already crumbling.
“Governor Makinde is free to aspire to the highest office in the land. That is his constitutional right. But he should not mistake ambition for viability, publicity for popularity or political bargaining for a genuine national movement,” the statement said.