The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among other party stakeholders, have urged party members in Lagos State to close ranks and strengthen grassroots mobilisation to reclaim the state in the 2027 general elections, following the party’s loss in 2023.

The duo who spoke on Monday at the APC Campaign Council retreat tagged “The Road to the Ballot: One Team, One Strategy, One Goal,” said Lagos was critical to the party’s national electoral fortunes, given its more than seven million registered voters.

Specifically, Yilwatda warned against internal divisions and selective support for APC candidates, stressing that members must work collectively to secure victory for President Bola Tinubu, the governor and other party candidates.

He said: “Secondly, I’m here because the last election we lost Lagos. So I want to speak to Lagosians. That’s why I’m here. At this time, it’s our time to deliver Lagos. First, to Mr. President, and then deliver our government and all our National Assembly members and House of Assembly members. This is a must-do for us as APC members.

“If you vote for Mr. President and don’t vote for the governor, how do we have governance? If we need to amend the Constitution and we need all the House of Representatives to concur, but they reject the policy of Mr. President, how do we move forward?” he asked.

The APC chairman urged aggrieved members to remain loyal to the party despite political disappointments, citing his experience of losing the 2023 governorship election before becoming a minister and subsequently the party’s national chairman.

“I didn’t leave the party. I worked for the party. I defended the party. I stood for the party. I never left,” he said, urging members to support candidates who emerged through the party’s processes regardless of personal differences.

He also warned that inadequate polling-unit representation could undermine the party’s electoral prospects, urging the campaign council to ensure the timely registration of election agents and effective grassroots mobilisation.

Yilwatda further called for improved communication of the Tinubu administration’s tax reforms and infrastructure projects, saying the party must do more to explain its policies and achievements to voters.

On his part, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the party must look beyond its registered membership and convince other Nigerians to support the administration by highlighting its achievements at the federal and state levels.

He said the APC had tangible achievements to present to voters, adding that party leaders should communicate these accomplishments rather than rely solely on campaign promises.

According to him, developments in the economy, changes in inflation and interest rates, adjustments to the minimum wage and improvements in workers’ earnings were among the issues the party could use to demonstrate the administration’s performance.

“We have the bragging rights, we have the analysis to show, we have the things to drive people and vote for them,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu maintained that Tinubu had demonstrated the capacity to lead the country, urging party members to use the forthcoming elections to show appreciation for his leadership through their votes.

He said the retreat should produce a clear and unified strategy that would enable party leaders to communicate the administration’s achievements effectively to the electorate.

The governor stressed that the APC must work as one team with a common objective, noting that electoral success would depend not only on party members but also on the ability to persuade Nigerians who had benefited from government policies.

He urged participants to become active advocates of the party’s candidates, particularly among voters who were yet to make up their minds about whom to support in 2027.

Sanwo-Olu also commended the administration’s direction in Lagos, expressing confidence in the party’s capacity to sustain its political dominance through effective governance and organised mobilisation.

He described the retreat as an opportunity to align party leaders around a common purpose and ensure that the campaign message reached communities across the state.

The governor further praised the opportunities he had received under Tinubu’s leadership, pledging to intensify his efforts towards achieving the party’s electoral objectives.

He also expressed confidence in the leadership and commitment of his political associates, urging party members to maintain unity and strengthen their collective efforts ahead of the elections.

Sanwo-Olu said the APC must present its candidates as credible choices by demonstrating their records, capacity and commitment to governance.

He added that the party’s focus should be on translating its achievements into widespread electoral support, insisting that the outcome of the retreat should be a renewed commitment to delivering a substantial number of votes for the party in the next general elections.

Earlier, the Lagos State APC Chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, said the party was targeting five million votes in Lagos State in the 2027 elections, urging members to translate their political positions into measurable electoral performance.

Ojelabi said the party would strengthen grassroots accountability through its “Operation Deliver Your Polling Unit” initiative, which seeks to assess the contributions of party leaders, elected officials and political appointees to mobilisation in their respective polling units.

He urged members to return to their wards, strengthen relationships with voters and ensure that the party’s extensive grassroots structures translated into electoral success.