Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said he is fit to serve as Nigeria’s President, stating that he has the capacity to occupy the highest office in the country.
Makinde made this known during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, where he was asked how it would feel to be addressed as “President Seyi Makinde.”
In his response, the governor said:
“Somebody said, ‘Governor Seyi Makinde’ years ago. My question was, look, governor of which Rotary district? So, you know, ‘President Seyi Makinde,’ maybe President of my town union.”
He continued:
“But let me say this, Seun, I don’t have any doubt that I have the capacity to occupy the highest office in this land. I have what it takes. But is it what I want to do right now? Is it what I am asking for? Is it what my party would say we should do? No. We still have a long time to go.”
Makinde added that the current focus should be on rebuilding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), emphasizing that personal ambitions must take a back seat to party stability.
“You know where we are right now—we must fix our party for you to even aspire to be anything. Let me say this: if my political journey ends right here, I am very happy. When I joined politics in 2007, I wanted to be a Senator. But now, not only have I achieved more than that by being the governor of my state, I have also cherished the opportunity that people gave to me to make my own little difference,” he said.
Makinde, now in his second term as Oyo State governor, has been increasingly mentioned in political circles as a possible 2027 presidential contender.
In August 2024, SaharaReporters revealed the creation of a WhatsApp group dedicated to promoting Makinde’s potential presidential ambition. The group, which had 467 members at the time, included notable figures such as Rep. Olajide Odidiomo and some of Makinde’s aides, including his Personal Assistant on Political Matters, Akeem Azeez.
The group praised Makinde’s leadership style, describing him as “people-oriented” and one of the most suitable candidates for the presidency.
Makinde remains a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party and is widely viewed as one of the party’s strongest voices in the South-West.
