…Calls For Natl Political Reforms

The National Chairman of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, has hailed the presidential ambition of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, describing him as a tested leader with the capacity to reposition Nigeria and restore public confidence in governance.

Speaking on Monday on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, Ogun State, Dantalle, who is also the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), said the decision to adopt Makinde as the party’s presidential candidate was informed by his performance record and leadership credentials.

According to him, democracy is fundamentally about choosing leaders who can effectively represent the interests of the people in every sphere of national life.

“Democracy is about the people. Democracy is about people making the right decisions that represent their interests politically, socially, economically and otherwise. Makinde’s administration in Oyo State has provided practical evidence of what competent leadership can achieve.

“If you go to Oyo, you will see that he has been tested with leadership in the state, as one of the largest states in this country. He has performed very well, and the transformation witnessed in Oyo State over the last several years speaks for itself.

“If you have been to Oyo in the past, maybe nine or ten years, and then you are in Oyo now, you know that this is not the Oyo of that period. You see the infrastructure, you see the livelihood of the people, the economic stability and the relative peace in Oyo,” he said.

Dantalle further described Makinde as a youthful and capable leader whose professional background as an engineer positions him well for national leadership. With that performance, and a young man, an engineer, who feels he is capable compared to what we have seen around, he can steer the ship of Nigeria to the next level,” Dantalle added.

Sounding very assured and optimistic, he said Nigerians would ultimately appreciate the decision of Makinde should he emerge victorious.

He said, “Nigerians will be proud that they made the right choice by electing Seyi Makinde as President of this country,” he declared.

The APM National Chairman explained that internal crises within the PDP and other political parties had encouraged several politicians to seek alternative platforms while efforts continue to resolve disputes in their former parties.

“The legal health of PDP and a few other parties is what it is today. In their rational thinking, they decided that they would not allow their party to die, but for want of time, they needed a platform that would provide them with the vehicle to pursue their political aspirations.

“Today, Seyi Makinde is a member of APM. Many politicians who previously intended to contest under the PDP would now seek office on the APM platform. All aspirants in PDP will run their race on the platform of APM,” he disclosed.

Dantalle stressed that political alliances are neither strange nor unconstitutional within Nigeria’s democratic framework, stressing that “In politics, an alliance of this nature is constitutional. It is allowed. What is important is how to drive interests within the ambit of the law,” he stated.

He recalled that similar collaborations had occurred in previous electoral cycles, saying that, for instance, “In 2023, there was an alliance between PDP and APM and about five other parties that worked together with the presidential candidate of PDP. It is not something new.

The IPAC chairman said the arrangement has already expanded the political influence of both parties ahead of future elections. The ranks of both the PDP and APM have swollen beyond what they were before now,” he noted.

Against some people’s concerns that Nigeria may be drifting toward a one-party state, Dantalle said, “I continuously disagree with anybody anytime who would say that Nigeria has drifted to one party. It is not a possibility.

“The existence of multiple presidential aspirants across various parties demonstrates that the country’s democratic space remains competitive. Today, you have presidential candidates from no fewer than ten parties that have emerged. Would you call that a one-party state?” he asked.

Insisting that Nigeria’s complexity and diversity make one-party dominance unrealistic, Dantalle said further that “Nigeria is too big for one party to accommodate the divergent interests and aspirations of Nigerians,” maintaining that political defections and disagreements are natural features of democracy and should not be interpreted as evidence of democratic collapse.

“People participate in primaries; they become unhappy, they revolt, they resign their membership and move elsewhere. That is politics,” he observed.

Dantalle nevertheless aligned the APM’s vision with what he described as a national reset agenda championed by Makinde, saying, “My candidate, Engineer Seyi Makinde, said that we should reset Nigeria. Resetting Nigeria means going back to the foundation. Allow the electoral process to be transparent so that people can elect who they want and who they believe can serve their interests. It is an appeal to all of us to love this country’, he said.