{
  "id": 15334190,
  "title": "Makinde Will Defeat Tinubu in His 12 Battleground States, Others, Says Campaign Council",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/makinde-will-defeat-tinubu-in-his-12-battleground-states-others-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T02:16:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/18/makinde-will-defeat-tinubu-in-his-12-battleground-states-others-says-campaign-council/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has declared that their presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, will defeat President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming January 2027 presidential election. The MDPCO identified 12 battleground states, including Oyo, Kaduna, Rivers, Plateau, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos, where they believe Makinde has a strong advantage. President Tinubu's decision to campaign in only these 12 states further confirmed his doubts about his chances of winning re-election due to the strides made by Makinde's RESET NIGERIA Agenda in these and other states.\n\nThe MDPCO asserted that Nigeria's biggest problem is not religion but grinding poverty. In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Hon. Richard Nnanna Ihediwa, they challenged President Tinubu to visit the states and witness the suffering of the people due to government failures. They suggested that if Tinubu genuinely believes he is popular, he should engage with the people in communities and towns to secure their votes. The organization highlighted the contrast between Makinde's RESET NIGERIA Agenda focusing on rebuilding systems and institutions and Tinubu's visionless, thoughtless administration.\n\nThe MDPCO emphasized that Nigerians are gravitating towards Makinde's core campaign pillars and proposals, with the APM candidate actively engaging with the people since starting his campaign. They urged President Tinubu not to waste national resources on his 'Nebuchadnezzar' Campaign Council of failed politicians. The campaign reaffirmed their support for Seyi Makinde, urging Nigerians, especially the youth, to embrace his RESET NIGERIA Agenda for a brighter future.",
  "summary": "• Challenges president to travel to Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, others by road •Insists Nigeria’s biggest problem is grinding poverty, not religion Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has declared",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "The Makinde campaign's focus on systemic rebuilding positions the governorship as a direct ideological challenge to the current administration's perceived failure to address national poverty and institutional decay.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}