Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, Seyi Makinde, has proposed a change to Nigeria’s electoral system, saying anyone seeking to become president should secure at least 50 per cent plus one of the total votes cast.
Makinde argued that the current constitutional requirement could allow a candidate to emerge as president without winning the support of most voters.
The Oyo State Governor made the proposal during a live interview on Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) on Friday night, ahead of the flag-off of his presidential campaign on Saturday, Naija News reports.
He cited the 2023 presidential election, in which President Bola Tinubu secured slightly more than 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 argued that the 2023 election showed that most voters supported candidates other than the eventual winner.
He said, “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 APM candidate maintained that a requirement of 50 per cent plus one vote would ensure that whoever becomes president has wider support among Nigerians.
He also proposed a transitional government of national unity, saying the country needed an inclusive administration to tackle challenges affecting different parts of the country.
He said, “And I’ve also made a point during 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 before starting his state-by-state campaign, he visited the six geopolitical zones to listen to Nigerians and understand their expectations from the next government.
According to him, the concerns and suggestions gathered during the visits had been included in his party’s manifesto.
He said, “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.”
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