BAUCHI, NIGERIA — Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has named former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Musa Daura, as his vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election, a strategic move aimed at bolstering the ticket’s security credentials .
Makinde announced the choice on Thursday at the Allied Peoples Movement’s National Elective Convention held at Rilwanu Adamu Square in Bauchi, where he formally emerged as the party’s presidential flagbearer . Daura, who headed Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency from 2015 to 2018, replaces Ibrahim Adamu Bala, who had served as a placeholder during consultations .
The Oyo governor described the selection of the former intelligence chief as deliberate, emphasising that Daura’s extensive experience in security and intelligence would be instrumental in addressing Nigeria’s persistent insecurity challenges . “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,” a statement from the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, confirmed .
Speaking at the convention, Makinde called on Nigerians to demand measurable outcomes rather than political slogans from those seeking to lead . “The 2027 election must be an election about outcomes. For too long, we have measured governance by announcements,” he declared. “When our mothers go to the market, they don’t experience economic policy as a statistic. They experience it in what their money can buy” .
The governor also renewed his call for the restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system, advocating for greater devolution of powers and resources to state and local governments to bring governance closer to the people . He urged Nigerians to judge political leaders by their ability to improve livelihoods, create jobs, and strengthen national security .
In a significant development, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed was inaugurated as the APM National Leader at the convention and immediately endorsed the Makinde-Daura ticket . Mohammed described the pairing as a combination of administrative experience and security expertise, stating, “We are putting square pegs in square holes. Our presidential candidate is an engineer by profession. He knows how to manufacture, develop and draw a plan, and we as administrators are behind him” .
Makinde also urged opposition parties to unite against the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027, emphasising that Nigerians deserve a credible alternative . “The task before all of us is bigger than winning an election. It is to give Nigerians a real choice about the future of their country,” he said .
Daura, a Katsina native and retired intelligence officer, had previously signalled his political ambition by criticising the handling of security issues in his home state, noting that he was driven by “deep concern for the safety and dignity of the people” . He had declared, “I am not coming with empty rhetoric. Insecurity has become a daily reality for our people, and it requires professional, intelligence-driven solutions not propaganda” .
The convention also re-elected Yusuf Mamman Dantalle as the party’s National Chairman, with the APM pledging to intensify grassroots mobilisation under the slogan “Operation Talk to Somebody, to Talk to Somebody, to Talk to Somebody” ahead of the 2027 elections .
