Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Seyi Makinde, has appointed Anthony Ehilebo as his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication as preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum.
The appointment was announced on Thursday by Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to Olarenwaju, Ehilebo’s appointment takes immediate effect, while further appointments to the governor’s presidential campaign team are expected to be announced as the election draws closer.
Makinde said Ehilebo’s background as a lawyer and communication strategist would strengthen his campaign and help the APM effectively communicate its plans to Nigerians.
The governor described the appointment as part of efforts to build a strong campaign structure capable of presenting the party’s message of national renewal and challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 election.
Makinde urged Nigerians to support the APM, describing the forthcoming election as an opportunity to change the direction of the country.
“With unity, courage, and determination, we will reclaim Nigeria’s destiny and deliver the future our people deserve,” Makinde affirmed.
Makinde formally entered the presidential race on May 14, 2026, when he declared his intention to contest under the PDP/APM alliance at a rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan.
“Today, I, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, FNSE, announce my candidacy for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the PDP/APM alliance,” he said during the declaration.
The APM later unveiled Makinde as its presidential candidate and former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, as his running mate at the party’s national convention in Bauchi on August 13.
Since then, the party has intensified efforts to position Makinde as a major opposition candidate ahead of the election.
Makinde has argued that Nigeria requires a political alternative capable of addressing its economic and security challenges. He has also advocated the devolution of more powers to the states and promised to reform the country’s security architecture if elected president.
The APM’s National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, recently said the party had established structures across the country and was working with opposition groups ahead of the election.
The party has also begun strengthening its organisation in Oyo State, where Makinde recently inaugurated the apex campaign council and charged its members to engage party leaders and supporters in preparation for the 2027 contest.
The latest appointment is coming shortly after Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, publicly invited Makinde to join the APC and align Oyo State with the Federal Government.
Goronyo made the appeal on Monday at the flag-off of the dualisation of the Ibadan-Ijebu Road in Ogun State, an event attended by senior government officials and political leaders.
The minister said Makinde’s defection to the APC would enable Oyo State to benefit more directly from the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“The central train of development is moving fast under our progressive banner,” Goronyo said.
He added, “I therefore warmly welcome and openly invite His Excellency the Governor of Oyo State, Mr Engineer Seyi Makinde, to take the natural giant step into the All Progressives Congress, the APC.”
Goronyo further urged the governor to “come and align Oyo State fully with the centre under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
