2027: Lagos APC Mobilises for Tinubu, Says Re-election Is National Priority

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has formally launched its mobilisation for the 2027 general elections, declaring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election a matter of national interest.

The campaign took off on Tuesday with an inter-faith prayer session at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan, where Muslim and Christian clerics, as well as traditional worshippers, offered prayers for Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the party’s governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, and other APC candidates.

The party said Tinubu had demonstrated the leadership capacity required to govern Nigeria’s diverse and complex society, while also pointing to what it described as achievements recorded under his administration.

The event attracted several APC leaders, including the state chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi; leader of the Governance Advisory Council, Tajudeen Olusi; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; former Speaker Yemi Ikuforiji; former Finance Minister, Wale Edun; Senator Idiat Adebule and Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

Party supporters, dressed in APC colours and waving campaign banners, created a carnival-like atmosphere at the stadium as drummers and other performers entertained the gathering.

Sanwo-Olu urges commitment

Speaking at the event, Sanwo-Olu said the party had sought divine guidance before embarking on its campaign but cautioned members against relying solely on prayers without putting in the necessary political work.

“We are not taking anybody for granted. We have only asked God to give us direction. We will work, but we are also people of faith,” the governor said.

He described the prayer session as the beginning of the party’s mobilisation and promised that APC members would take the campaign to communities across Lagos and the South-West.

According to him, the party would work extensively to secure support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.

Sanwo-Olu also expressed confidence in Hamzat’s chances of succeeding him as governor, saying the APC candidate would emerge victorious in the governorship election.

Hamzat seeks peaceful polls

Hamzat similarly expressed optimism about the party’s prospects, saying APC had entrusted its campaign and candidates to God.

He prayed for President Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and his wife, Ibijoke, as well as the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly.

Hamzat also called for peaceful elections, urging political actors and supporters to avoid actions capable of undermining the electoral process.

“We want the election to be violence-free,” he said.

Obanikoro warns against division

The campaign chairman, Musiliu Obanikoro, used the occasion to caution APC members against internal disagreements that could weaken the party ahead of the elections.

In a speech titled “Let God Go Before Us,” Obanikoro said prayer must be backed by strategy, organisation, discipline, hard work and commitment.

He noted that while political actors could plan and mobilise, some outcomes remained beyond human control.

“There are doors which only God Almighty can open,” he said.

Obanikoro, however, urged members who had contested for party tickets but lost to put aside their differences and work for the success of the party.

He warned against bitterness and recrimination, stressing that political positions were temporary while relationships and the society being built would endure.

The former minister also endorsed Tinubu’s bid for another term, describing the President as capable of managing Nigeria’s multi-ethnic and complex political environment.

APC highlights Tinubu administration

The chairman of the campaign’s Inter-Faith Committee, Oyinlomo Danmole, also defended the Tinubu administration, citing programmes targeted at young people, students and businesses.

He specifically mentioned the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and other government interventions in infrastructure, investment and support for businesses.

The inter-faith gathering brought together representatives of different religious traditions, who took turns praying for the APC candidates, President Tinubu and peaceful elections.

Methodist Bishop Stephen Adegbite, who led the Christian delegation, praised Lagos for its tradition of religious coexistence and expressed confidence in Hamzat’s governorship bid.

Addressing the APC candidate, Adegbite said his emergence represented a significant political transition in the state and expressed optimism about his chances in the 2027 election.

The Lagos APC campaign is expected to intensify its mobilisation across the state and the wider South-West as the party seeks to consolidate its political base ahead of the 2027 general elections.