Tawio POPOOLA

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has called for a review of Nigeria’s electoral process, proposing that presidential candidates should secure at least 50 per cent plus one of the total votes cast to emerge as winner.

Makinde argued that the current constitutional provision allows a candidate to become president without securing the support of the majority of voters, raising concerns about the level of national acceptance enjoyed by elected leaders.

The Oyo State Governor spoke during a live interview on Bauchi Radio Corporation, BRC, Bauchi, on Friday night as part of activities to flag off his presidential campaign on Saturday.

He cited the 2023 presidential election, in which President Bola Tinubu secured slightly above 34 per cent of the total votes cast, as an example of why the electoral process needed to be reviewed.

He said, “In Nigeria, under the constitution today, to become the president, you can score 33 per cent of the votes. So that means 67 per cent of the people can vote against you. But if you have a simple majority and you have 25 per cent in two-thirds of the states of the federation plus FCT, then you become the president.”

Makinde said the outcome of the 2023 election showed that the majority of voters supported candidates other than the eventual winner.

He added, “And if you analyse the 2023 election results, you will notice that the current administration actually came in with about maybe slightly more than 34, 35 per cent of the votes. So the majority of Nigerians voted against this administration.”

The governor maintained that requiring presidential candidates to secure at least 50 per cent plus one of the votes would give the winner a broader mandate and strengthen public acceptance of the government.

Beyond electoral reforms, Makinde proposed a transitional government of national unity, saying the country needed an inclusive administration to address its challenges across different regions.

He said, “And I’ve also made a point in a lot of the manifesto also that ours will be a transitional government of national unity. Because we have challenges almost all over the country.”

Makinde disclosed that he had visited the six geopolitical zones before beginning his state-by-state campaign to listen to Nigerians and understand their expectations.

He said the consultations helped his team identify the major concerns and aspirations of citizens, which had been incorporated into its manifesto.

“I came out before this state-by-state campaign that we’re launching; we’re flagging off tomorrow. I came out, you know, I went to all six geopolitical zones of the country, listening to people. I wanted to know what things they would rather see. And they gave us their concerns and the things, their aspirations, and we’ve incorporated all of that in the manifesto,” he said.

He described the proposed reforms as part of his reset agenda, which focuses on the economy, security, education, and social policies ahead of the 2027 general election.