The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State declared that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, poses no threat in the state, noting that the error of 2023, when Obi won the presidential election there, has been rectified. Nigerian travel guide
The APC leaders made this remark while responding to questions from journalists at the launch of a political movement founded by the daughter of President Bola Tinubu and Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Dr. Mujidat Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, in Abuja.
The movement, known as the Iyaloja General Movement (IGM), is intended to mobilize votes for President Tinubu’s re-election in the January 16, 2027, presidential election. Follow Politics
Barrister Adejumbo Omofumilewa, the Lagos State Director-General of the movement, said the inauguration amounted to a mini-rally in support of Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Omofumilewa expressed confidence that the APC would do better in Lagos State in the next presidential election, stating that the party had tackled the factors responsible for its loss in the state during the 2023 presidential poll.
He blamed the outcome of the previous election on 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.
Omofumilewa also rejected the prospect of opposition parties posing a serious challenge to the APC in Lagos, insisting that the ruling party had a strong presence across the state.
“Obi is not a threat, nor is any party a threat in Lagos State. We are in charge,” he said, adding that the party was politically and organizationally positioned to secure victory in 2027.
For his part, the Director-General of IGM, Dr. Nasiru Ladan, said the movement had already drawn over 2,500 support groups, with more organizations still showing interest.
Ladan said the groups had been incorporated into the movement’s structure and that the organization was building a database of supporters across states and local government areas.
“We have just started; it has been launched today, and we have machinery in motion in all the states, local governments, up to the ward level,” he said.
He explained that the movement’s grassroots strategy was intended to turn its organizational structure into votes for the APC in 2027.
According to him, the movement intends to assign 10 facilitators to each polling unit, and each facilitator is expected to mobilize 100 voters.
He stated that the initiative was expected to help the movement reach its target of 10 million votes, though he did not explain how that target would be measured or independently verified.
The Lagos State Chairman of the APC, Cornelius Oyefolu Ojelabi, said the party was taking no chances in the forthcoming elections, given the great importance it attaches to them.
“And you see that most of the political activities taking place now are centered on the All Progressives Congress. You will see them moving from one state to another,” he said.
He further said, “You will see the All Progressives Congress moving from one local government to another. You will see a series of support groups, in all ramifications, coming on board to show their solidarity and support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress. For the mere fact that we are the ruling party, we are not taking that for granted.
“We are reaching out to the electorate. We are telling the electorate what this particular administration has been able to achieve and to consolidate the achievements recorded in the last four years. So, we are not taking anything for granted.
“And today, we are here to give our support to the Iyaloja General, who deemed it fit to bring the Iyaloja Generals in the whole country together to send the same message and let them take ownership of the forthcoming general election.
“That is what we are known for, and that is what we have been doing.
“And what happened during the 2023 election has strengthened us, because we know Lagos State has been the only state in the whole country that has been governed by one political party since 1999. So, what happened during the first election, to me, was a wake-up call.
