Makinde picks ex-DSS boss Lawal Daura as running mate, security is now the game

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has officially picked former DSS Director-General Lawal Daura as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). The unveiling happened on Thursday at the APM national convention inside the Government House in Bauchi, and the announcement came through a statement by Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade.

Makinde said Daura was deliberately chosen to tackle Nigeria's worsening security situation. He also promised to lift millions out of poverty, blaming the economic hardship of the last three years on poorly implemented policies. This is the same governor who declared his presidential ambition on May 14 during a joint mega rally with the PDP in Ibadan, saying Nigerians deserve a genuine choice and that the task goes beyond winning an election.

Now, Daura is not a fresh face in security circles. He served as DSS boss from July 2015 to August 2018, but his exit was controversial, following that infamous DSS operation at the National Assembly complex. He later tried to become ADC governorship aspirant in Katsina, but resigned on Sunday, citing alleged injustice and instability in that party. So the question is, can a man with that baggage really sell a security agenda, or is this just another political marriage of convenience?