Makinde: I’m in Presidential Race to Reset Nigeria, Not to Play Spoiler

The allegation by the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) that Governor Seyi Makinde is attempting to play a spoiler’s game is as misplaced as it is misguided. The claim reveals far more about SSACO’s panic than about the governor’s presidential ambition. It is an assertion without substance, crafted in haste and sustained only by a wonky imagination.

SSACO’s latest outburst fits into a familiar pattern of unfounded commentary aimed at distorting serious national conversations. Its fixation on Governor Makinde has become a predictable reflex, detached from facts and driven by insecurity.

Governor Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), is in the race to reset Nigeria and help build a country that works for all citizens. His candidacy is anchored in a clear national vision and a commitment to responsible leadership. His record of constructive engagement, bridge-building, and issue-driven governance underscores this intention. The suggestion that a candidate with such a track record would abandon serious national aspirations to “play spoiler” is not only illogical, it is a deliberate mischaracterisation.

SSACO has also claimed that Governor Makinde does not stand any chance against the incumbent president. If that were truly the case, why is SSACO obsessively fixated on him? If a candidate supposedly has “no chance,” why does SSACO attack him at every turn? Its relentless fixation confirms two things: Governor Makinde’s strength and SSACO’s dread of that strength.

The same pattern is evident in its sudden preoccupation with Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, the APM gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State. SSACO’s constant jabs at him do not reflect confidence; they reflect apprehension. Its behaviour is not that of people who feel secure; it is the behaviour of people who feel threatened.

Governor Makinde’s engagement at the national level is grounded in issues, not political rhetoric. His conversations with Nigerians across regions reflect a desire for stability, competence, and clarity, qualities that have defined his public service. SSACO’s commentary, by contrast, has become a distraction in search of relevance.

Governor Makinde is in this race with purpose and conviction. The groundswell of support he continues to attract across the country speaks to a candidacy rooted in substance, not noise. His engagement with Nigerians is steady, sincere, and growing. And while SSACO exhausts itself manufacturing distractions, Makinde’s momentum remains untouched. Its frantic commentary cannot slow him, its contrived alarms cannot shake him, and its theatrics cannot obscure the fact that his message is gaining clarity on a daily basis.