Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state on Friday said he would not step down for any presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
The governor, who said this in his bi-monthly newsletter, added that his joining the 2027 presidential race was not to step forward in order to step down, insisting that “I am going forward.”
According to him, he will not step down for any presidential candidate in the 2027 election because “Nigerians deserve better.”
He said, “Since I formally entered the presidential race, I have heard the speculation. Some say I am merely positioning myself for negotiations. Others say that when the time comes, I will step down for another candidate.
“Let me be clear, I did not step forward in order to step down.I am going forward. I am going forward because Nigerians deserve better.
“Nigerians deserve institutions that serve the law rather than political interests. They deserve an economy that rewards hard work, communities in which they can live without fear of abduction and leaders who will defend the public interest even when doing so is inconvenient.”
Continuing, he said, “I understand the scale of the political forces gathered on the other side. Some will look at the machinery of the ruling party and conclude that the outcome has already been decided.
“But I have been counted out before. Oyo state has shown that practical, people-centred governance is possible. We do not claim to have solved every problem, but we have demonstrated that there is another way to govern.”