Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, Seyi Makinde, has explained that his political decisions are not guided by ethnic considerations, citing his marriage to a woman from the Niger Delta as an example.
Makinde made the remarks during an exclusive interview from 18:36 on Arise Television aired on Friday, November 13, 2026, while discussing his support for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
The governor described that decision as a political risk, saying he supported Tinubu without knowing whether it would affect his chances of securing a second term in office. He maintained that his backing was based on an agreement to form a government of national unity, rather than shared ethnic or regional identity.
Makinde recalled that some people had advised him to support either Tinubu or Peter Obi because both presidential candidates were from the southern part of the country. However, he said he rejected that argument and stood by the agreement reached at the time.
Explaining why ethnicity did not determine his political choice, the governor referred to his family, noting that his wife comes from the Niger Delta rather than his own ethnic group.
He said, “Supporting Asiwaju in 2023 was a risk I took without minding whether I’ll return for a second term or not. I took the risk not on the basis of ethnicity.”
He added, “Yes, people came to me at that time to say, well, if we’re saying from the South, you have Asiwaju and you have Peter Obi, I think you should support one of yours. But I did not support him on that basis. I supported him on the basis of the agreement that we signed that we must have a government of national unity.”
Makinde further spoke about his personal background and journey, recalling how he left his previous environment with only a bag and his University of Lagos degree.
He said, “I am married to somebody who is not even from my tribe, who is from the Niger Delta.”
He also stated, “So, if you look at my history and my trajectory in life, you will see that I left this place with just a bag and my degree from the University of Lagos.”
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