Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated a 1,235-member campaign council for the 2027 general elections, directing all its candidates to remain in Nigeria until after the elections.

The party also charged its members to campaign confidently on the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the APC-led government in Lagos, rather than allow opposition attacks to intimidate them.

The directives were issued on Friday at the inauguration of the campaign council at the APC state secretariat in Ikeja.
The party’s governorship candidate, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, urged members to take the party’s record to the electorate and defend its achievements during the campaign.

“We should be proud of our candidates because the president has done a lot for the country. We should not be afraid to go out and campaign,” Hamzat said.

He cited the Federal Government’s economic and security policies as areas the party could use in its engagement with voters ahead of the elections.
Hamzat also set a target of at least 3.5 million votes for the APC in Lagos, saying the party must work to secure a significant proportion of the state’s registered voters.

“We have registered 7.5 million people in Lagos; therefore, we must target at least 3.5 million votes,” he said.

He urged party members to focus on communicating the administration’s achievements instead of allowing internal disagreements to distract them.
According to him, Lagos requires experienced leadership and should not be subjected to what he described as “trial and error”.

“We must take each other as one and as members of a party that is moving the state and country forward. We are not fighting; we are mobilising to ensure victory is assured,” Hamzat said.

He also urged APC members to work for the election of the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly.

In his remarks, the APC Lagos State chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, directed all candidates contesting the 2027 elections on the party’s platform to remain in the country until after the elections.

Ojelabi said the campaign council comprised 20 directorates and brought together former governors, former deputy governors, former council chairmen and elected members of the party, among others.

He stressed the need for discipline, accountability and effective coordination as the party begins its campaign activities.

According to him, most of the campaign activities would take place within the senatorial districts and local government areas, rather than at the state level alone.
He urged members of the council to understand their respective responsibilities and respect the chain of command to avoid confusion in the campaign structure.

“The responsibility placed on you is enormous; therefore, let us respect institutional responsibilities and respect the law and democratic process,” Ojelabi said.

He emphasised the need for clearly defined reporting lines and accountability within the campaign council, while urging candidates to cooperate with the structure and make themselves available for campaign activities.

“To our candidates, cooperate with the campaign council and make yourself available. After today’s inauguration, no candidate is allowed to travel outside the country until after the general elections,” Ojelabi said.

The APC chairman also appealed to members to conduct their campaigns peacefully and focus on issues rather than personal attacks, violence or rancour.

He said the party, which identifies itself as a progressive and peace-loving organisation, should conduct its campaign in line with democratic values and the provisions of Nigeria’s electoral laws.

Ojelabi charged members of the campaign council to carry out their responsibilities diligently, saying the success of the campaign would depend on the ability of members and candidates to work together and comply with the rules governing the electoral process.

The Director-General of the Lagos APC Campaign Council, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, similarly urged members to put aside personal grievances and work collectively towards the party’s success in 2027.

Obanikoro described the assignment as a serious responsibility requiring discipline, commitment and unity, stressing that no member of the council should regard his or her appointment as ceremonial.

“Today we commit our future to our hands. Today marks the beginning of a serious assignment. The 2027 elections demand discipline and absolute commitment from all of us,” he said.

He urged members to put past disagreements and disappointments behind them, arguing that the responsibility before them was greater than individual grievances.

“This is the time to put personal grievances and disappointment behind us. Whatever might have happened in the past, the responsibility before us is bigger than that,” Obanikoro said.

He also called for sustained engagement with communities across Lagos, saying every directorate of the campaign council must function effectively.

“Every community must be engaged and, above all, unity must be our strength. Let us approach this assignment with discipline and common purpose,” he added.

Obanikoro expressed confidence in the party’s political structure in Lagos, citing Tinubu’s position as President and the emergence of Hamzat as the APC governorship candidate.

“There is no state that is as lucky as we are in Lagos State. And there is no party that is as lucky as the APC. We have one of us as the president of the country,” he said.

He described Hamzat as “the most prepared individual” to seek the governorship of Lagos and said the campaign council would work towards securing at least three million votes for the party.

Representing the Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council, Pa Tajudeen Olusi, former Lagos Deputy Governor and GAC member, Pa Abiodun Ogunleye, also expressed confidence in Hamzat’s ability to govern the state.

Ogunleye said the candidate’s competence and character would help sustain the progress of Lagos, urging members of the campaign council to work diligently for the party’s success.

“This is the sign of success. We know that our next governor is competent to handle Lagos properly. With his character, there is no doubt that the state will perform just as the party will progress,” he said.

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