Tinubu is not a stranger to me and can be defeated in 2027, says Makinde running mate Daura

Lawal Musa Daura, the Allied Peoples Movement's vice-presidential candidate, says President Bola Tinubu can be beaten in Nigeria's 2027 presidential election. Asked during an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today whether Tinubu could lose, Daura replied: “Very well.” He attributed that assessment to what he called “several errors” by the president's government.

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Very well.

Daura, a former director-general of Nigeria's Department of State Services, said his relationship with Tinubu extends beyond politics. “President Bola Tinubu is not a stranger to me,” he said, adding that although Tinubu is the nation's leader and commander in chief, “we're friends. We know ourselves very well.” Daura also said some claims made about Tinubu were inaccurate.

The APM candidate recalled his service under former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying, “I do miss Muhammadu Buhari. I took bullets for him.” He criticized what he described as sycophants around Buhari, accusing them of betraying the former president's trust and exploiting his administration.

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President Bola Tinubu is not a stranger to me. Even though he is the leader, the commander in chief, we are friends. We know ourselves very well.

Daura said he and Seyi Makinde shared an understanding and a common vision for Nigeria. “We are a pair that seems to really understand each other; we share the same passion for this country,” he said, adding that one of their mottos was that they were “resetting this country.”

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I do miss Muhammadu Buhari. I took bullets for him.

The interview followed the unveiling of Makinde's presidential campaign office in Abuja. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, attended the event and said Makinde was qualified to become president. Obi also said Nigerians should be free to choose their preferred candidate and that political leaders should work together regardless of who wins the 2027 election.

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We are a pair that seems to really understand each other; we share the same passion for this country.