ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, has thrown his weight behind the growing calls for Seyi Makinde to join the 2027 presidential race, describing the Oyo State governor as one of the strongest leadership options capable of challenging the current political order.
Pearse said Makinde possessed the leadership capacity, political maturity and national appeal required to govern Nigeria at a time many citizens were demanding a generational shift in power.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Tuesday, the PDP stalwart argued that the increasing pressure on Makinde from political loyalists and stakeholders across the country was evidence that many Nigerians already saw him as a credible presidential material ahead of the 2027 election.
According to him, Makinde’s handling of governance in Oyo State had positioned him as one of the few governors with national political relevance beyond regional boundaries.
Pearse said the governor’s approach to security, economic management, fairness and modern governance could attract broad support across the country if he eventually secures the PDP presidential ticket.
“Governor Seyi Makinde is a good presidential material and will serve the country well if given the opportunity,” he stated.
He added that Makinde would command strong support in the South-West because many Yoruba voters viewed him as an “Omoluabi” politician with discipline, dignity and a reputation for responsible leadership.
“If Governor Seyi Makinde clinches the PDP ticket for President in 2027, the people of the South-West will support him because the Yoruba people appreciate an Omoluabi; a distinguished gentleman in politics,” Pearse said.
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The PDP chieftain also argued that Makinde’s growing popularity was not limited to the South-West, insisting that voters in the South-South and South-East would likely assess his performance record rather than ethnic or regional sentiments.
According to him, the governor’s infrastructural development and governance style in Oyo State had already earned him credibility beyond his home region.
“The South-South and the South-East will evaluate his record and support him because of his brilliant performance in developing Oyo State as governor in eight years,” he added.
Pearse further claimed that Makinde’s security policies and perceived sense of fairness could also resonate with Northern voters searching for stability and inclusive leadership.
He described the governor as part of a new political generation gradually taking centre stage in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
“Makinde is youthful, in his 50s. He is dynamic and visionary. Makinde’s generation has come of age,” he said.
The PDP stalwart maintained that Nigeria could no longer continue with what he described as an ageing political structure dominated by leaders disconnected from the realities of younger Nigerians.
According to him, Makinde represents a technologically-driven generation prepared to take over leadership from the older political establishment.
“Makinde represents the new tech-savvy generation that has inevitably come to replace the old political class of leaders in their 70s and 80s,” Pearse said.
“The time for this progressive change is now. Nigeria is ready and waiting.”
He also expressed confidence that the PDP was regaining political strength ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting the opposition party remained fully positioned to mount a serious challenge for power.