The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has named former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
NEWSNGR reports that Daura, who headed the SSS between 2015 and 2018, was unveiled on Thursday at the APM national convention held at the Rilwan Adamu Square in Bauchi.
Makinde was also formally affirmed as the party’s presidential candidate at the convention.
According to a statement issued by the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, Makinde said Daura was deliberately selected because of his security background and experience.
“His presidential running mate is Alh. Lawal Musa Daura, the former Director-General of the State Security Service between 2015 and 2018, whom he said was deliberately chosen to solve the security situation of the country,” the statement read.
Daura served as the head of the country’s domestic intelligence agency from 2015 until his removal in 2018.
Makinde said the choice of the former intelligence chief formed part of his plan to address Nigeria’s security challenges if elected.
The APM presidential candidate also pledged to work with politicians across the country who share his political and developmental vision.
“The APM presidential candidate said that he will work actively with like-minded politicians to ensure a better Nigeria come 2027,” the statement added.
Makinde also promised to focus on reducing poverty and improving the economic conditions of Nigerians.
He blamed the worsening hardship in the country on what he described as poorly implemented government policies in recent years.
“Gov. Makinde said he’s well prepared to lift the millions of Nigerians out of the poverty level, which has ravaged the land even more in the past three years as a result of poorly implemented policies,” Oyelade stated.
The presidential candidate said his administration, if elected, would pursue policies aimed at improving living standards and expanding economic opportunities.
Makinde also said the decision to hold the party’s convention in Bauchi was symbolic because of the state’s place in Nigeria’s political history.
He noted that Bauchi was the home state of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
