Get Guardian on Google…Lagos APC sets 3.5m-vote target for Tinubu, Hamzat
Stakeholders of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and South West Coordinator of Bola Tinubu for President (SWAGA) have warned party members, particularly in the Southwest, against taking the 2027 general elections for granted on the strength of incumbency or the assumption of an easy victory, insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and the party’s control of Lagos will depend on sustained grassroots mobilisation.
They cautioned that underestimating the opposition could prove costly, stressing that electoral victory would require more than campaign rallies, political endorsements and showmanship. Rather, they urged party leaders and members to engage voters directly, explain the achievements of the Tinubu administration and convince Nigerians of the need to give the President another four years.
The stakeholders, including Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council in Lagos State, Musiliu Obanikoro; former APC National Legal Adviser, Dr Muiz Banire; former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Housing Authority and SWAGA co-convener, Oyetunde Ojo; and Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dayo Adeyeye, spoke at the Lagos SWAGA 2.0 Summit and launch at the weekend.
At the event, Obanikoro disclosed that the party had set a target of 3.5 million votes for Tinubu and its governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, in Lagos State, expressing confidence that the administration’s achievements at the federal level, alongside those of the Lagos State Government, would strengthen the APC’s electoral prospects.
He, however, urged party members not to assume that incumbency alone would guarantee victory, but to take the campaign to communities and households to secure voters’ support.
Banire, the keynote speaker, said the Southwest must deliver between 70 and 75 per cent of its votes to guarantee Tinubu’s comfortable re-election, warning that the region could not afford to approach the contest with complacency.
He said the introduction of technology into the electoral process had changed the dynamics of elections, making effective voter mobilisation, proper coordination and credible party-agent representation indispensable.
According to him, the APC must ensure that its agents are sufficiently educated to understand the voting and collation processes, warning against deploying people who lack the capacity to protect the party’s interests at polling units.
Banire also argued that large rallies were no longer enough to guarantee electoral success, insisting that personal engagement with voters and sustained grassroots contact would be more decisive.
He challenged party leaders to ensure that campaign resources reached the appropriate people and structures, alleging that the mismanagement and diversion of funds by some political leaders contributed to Tinubu’s defeat by Peter Obi in Lagos State during the 2023 presidential election.
Ojo, in his remarks, gave the coming election a regional dimension, arguing that the contest was not merely about Tinubu’s second-term ambition but also about protecting the Southwest’s political influence.
He said opposition politicians had tested their strength in Lagos during the 2023 election and could seek to use the state as a gateway to expand their political influence across the region.
“They have tested the ground in 2023 and those people believe that if they could take Lagos to penetrate the Southwest, it would be no problem. We need to work. Lagos needs to work hard,” he said.
Commending SWAGA 2.0 for its grassroots mobilisation efforts and the turnout at the summit, Ikuforiji urged party faithful to intensify their activities to ensure the realisation of the 3.5 million-vote target.
He maintained that achieving the target would require unity, commitment and effective coordination among party leaders and members at all levels.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, and former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan, appealed to Nigerians to look beyond the immediate economic difficulties associated with the removal of fuel subsidy.
They argued that although the policy had imposed hardship on citizens, its long-term benefits would outweigh the gains previously enjoyed by a few individuals through the subsidy regime.
A former member of House of Representatives, Lanre Odubote, one of the conveners of SWAGA, said the target of 3.5 million votes for Tinubu and Hamzat in Lagos, alongside the projection of between 70 and 75 per cent across the Southwest, was achievable if members remained united, disciplined and committed to the party’s campaign structure.
“Our target is 3.5 million votes. It is not just a number; it is a statement that Lagos stands firmly behind Tinubu and Hamzat,” he said.
Ashafa, on his part, called on party leaders at ward and local government levels to take the campaign to every polling unit, engage voters and communicate the APC’s achievements.
He dismissed the opposition’s prospects of dislodging the party in Lagos, describing the APC as the only political platform with a clear vision for the state and the country.
Adeyeye, however, cautioned supporters against violence, urging the party to rely on its record in government and issue-based campaigns rather than intimidation.
“We must campaign with our records. We must not engage in violence. Our victory will come from the people because they have seen what we have done,” he said.
He assured supporters that the party leadership would provide the necessary support for a peaceful and successful campaign.
