Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has appointed lawyer and communication strategist Anthony Ehilebo as his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The appointment takes immediate effect, according to a statement issued by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
The statement added that further appointments to Makinde’s campaign team would be announced in due course.
Makinde said Ehilebo’s experience as a communication strategist and lawyer would strengthen the campaign’s media operation and help drive the APM’s message of resetting Nigeria.
The governor also urged Nigerians to support the APM, describing the 2027 presidential election as a historic opportunity to change the country’s political direction.
“With unity, courage, and determination, we will reclaim Nigeria’s destiny and deliver the future our people deserve,” Makinde said.
The appointment comes as Makinde steps up his national campaign after formally declaring his presidential ambition earlier this year.
On May 14, 2026, the Oyo governor announced his candidacy at a joint PDP/APM mega rally at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, where he unveiled the alliance between the two parties.
“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 declared.
Makinde said the alliance was intended to bring opposition forces together and provide an alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
He also argued that Nigeria was facing serious economic and security challenges and called for what he described as a “hard reset” of the country.
Makinde subsequently secured the APM presidential ticket at the party’s primary in Ibadan on May 30, positioning him as one of the emerging contenders in the 2027 presidential race.
The governor has since expanded his political activities beyond Oyo as his campaign seeks to establish a national structure ahead of the election.
Ehilebo brings experience in political communication and opposition politics to the new role. He has previously been publicly identified as a lawyer and PDP chieftain and has participated in debates over the party’s leadership crisis and its strategy ahead of the 2027 election.
In recent months, he has also argued that the next presidential election should be viewed primarily through the concerns of Nigerians rather than the interests of individual political parties.
His appointment is expected to give greater emphasis to digital communication, political messaging and rapid response as Makinde’s campaign attempts to build visibility across Nigeria.
The move also signals the beginning of a broader campaign structure, with Makinde’s camp indicating that additional appointments will follow.
