2027: ‘It Has Been Taken Care Of’ – APC Reveals Plans To ‘Beat’ Peter Obi In Lagos

Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State have dismissed the possibility of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other opposition candidates defeating President Bola Tinubu in the state in the 2027 presidential election.

The APC leaders insisted that the party had addressed the mistakes that led to Tinubu’s defeat in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election.

Naija News reports that they made the declaration while speaking with journalists at a political gathering organized by President Tinubu’s daughter and Nigeria’s Iyaloja General, Dr Mujidat Folasade Tinubu-Ojo.

Speaking on the party’s plan, the Lagos State Director-General of the Iyaloja General Movement (IGM), which was meant to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, Barrister Adejumbo Omofumilewa, described the inauguration as a mini-rally in support of the president.

He expressed confidence that the APC would perform better in Lagos in 2027, arguing that the party had addressed the issues responsible for its poor performance in the state during the last presidential election.

Omofumilewa attributed the 2023 outcome to the party’s failure to properly assess the political situation in Lagos, describing the experience as a betrayal.

“What happened in 2023 that made our candidate lose the presidential election in Lagos State has already been taken care of, because now, everybody is following him,” he said.

‘Peter Obi Not A Threat’

He also dismissed the possibility of Obi and other opposition candidates posing a serious challenge to the APC in the state.

“Obi is not a threat, neither is any party a threat in Lagos State. We are in charge,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the IGM group, Dr Nasiru Ladan, disclosed that the movement had attracted more than 2,500 support groups, with several other organisations indicating interest in joining.

He said the groups had been integrated into the movement’s structure, while efforts were ongoing to build a database of supporters across states and local government areas.

Ladan explained that the organisation had started putting its grassroots mobilisation structure in place, extending from the state level to local governments and wards.

He said the movement planned to appoint 10 facilitators in each polling unit, with each person expected to mobilise 100 voters.

According to him, the strategy aims to help the movement achieve its target of 10 million votes for Tinubu, although he did not explain how the target would be independently measured.

Also speaking, the Lagos State APC Chairman, Cornelius Oyefolu Ojelabi, said the party was taking the 2027 elections seriously and would not leave anything to chance.

He noted that APC political activities and support groups were already spreading across states and local government areas to mobilise voters for the president.

Ojelabi said the party was also engaging Nigerians to explain the achievements of Tinubu’s administration and seek support for its plans to build on them.

He described the 2023 presidential election in Lagos as a wake-up call for the APC, noting that the same political party had governed the state since the return to democracy in 1999.

The APC chairman said the experience had strengthened the party’s resolve to work harder ahead of the next election.

Ojelabi also expressed support for Tinubu-Ojo’s decision to bring Iyaloja Generals from across the country together under the movement to mobilise support for the president.

In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of IGM, Prince Mendy Achibong, expressed confidence in the movement’s growing presence in the state.

He pledged that Akwa Ibom would deliver more than 80 per cent of its votes to Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, claiming the figure would be higher than the state’s performance in the previous election.