2027: Governor Seyi Makinde Picks Ex-DSS DG As Presidential Running Mate

The Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has picked former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Musa Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde announced Daura’s selection on Thursday at the APM national convention held at Rilwan Adamu Square in Bauchi, where he was also formally elected as the party’s presidential candidate.

The choice of the former intelligence chief places security at the centre of the APM’s presidential campaign, with Makinde saying Daura was deliberately selected because of his experience in addressing the country’s security challenges.

Daura served as Director-General of the DSS, formerly known as the State Security Service (SSS), from 2015 to 2018 before his removal from office during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade.
According to the statement, Makinde believes Daura’s experience in the intelligence and security sector would be valuable in addressing Nigeria’s worsening security situation if the APM wins the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde, while accepting the APM presidential ticket, said the task before opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 election was bigger than simply winning political power.

He called on the new leadership of the party to work with other opposition parties and political actors to provide Nigerians with what he described as a credible alternative at the polls.

The governor said the 2027 election should focus on measurable outcomes rather than political promises and government announcements.

He argued that Nigerians should judge economic policies by their impact on their daily lives, particularly their purchasing power, employment opportunities and living conditions.

Makinde also identified poverty reduction, job creation, education, healthcare and security as issues that should dominate the political debate ahead of the 2027 election.

He said families should judge the effectiveness of government security policies by whether citizens could travel, work, farm and sleep without fear.

The APM presidential candidate further promised to tackle poverty and improve the welfare of millions of Nigerians if elected president.

He attributed the worsening hardship in the country to what he described as poorly implemented policies in recent years, pledging to deploy his experience as governor of Oyo State at the national level.

Makinde also described the choice of Bauchi as the venue for the convention as significant, noting that the state was the home of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

The emergence of Makinde and his selection of Daura now formally place the APM ticket in the 2027 presidential race, with the party expected to seek alliances with other opposition groups ahead of the general election.