2027 Polls: Lagos governor urges APC leaders to unite

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and members to unite, remain disciplined and pursue a common strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.

Sanwo-Olu made the appeal on Monday while delivering the keynote address at a retreat for leaders and senior members of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council in Lagos.

The retreat, with the theme ‘The Road to the Ballot: One Team, One Strategy, Building an Effective Campaign for Electoral Success’, aimed to strengthen coordination, mobilisation and strategic planning.

The governor urged members to prioritise collective interests, avoid internal divisions and work toward President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and the success of other APC candidates.

He said the party’s numerical strength would translate into electoral victory only if members united and effectively communicated its achievements and programmes to Nigerians.

“Whatever our individual positions or ambitions, we must understand that we belong to one party and are working towards one goal.

“We cannot afford to divide ourselves or weaken the party through internal disagreements. Our strength lies in our unity, discipline and ability to work together,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu cited a party leader who remained loyal to the APC in spite of losing a previous governorship contest, noting that Tinubu later appointed him minister.

According to him, the experience demonstrated the importance of patience, loyalty and commitment, even when individual political ambitions were not immediately realised.

He urged members not to allow personal disappointments to undermine collective progress, stressing that political opportunities would come at different times.

The governor urged participants to return to their constituencies as advocates and mobilisers, saying the campaign’s success depended on communicating its message beyond the meeting room.

“We cannot all be in this room, but we have millions of party members and supporters across the country.

“You are our advocates and cheerleaders, and you must return to your communities to sell our message.

“We must take the message to the people, including those who may not be card-carrying members but have benefited from our government’s programmes and policies,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu said the APC should highlight its record and explain the Tinubu administration’s policies rather than rely solely on its political structures.

He urged party leaders to communicate the administration’s economic reforms and development initiatives while acknowledging citizens’ concerns.

The governor expressed confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, saying the president had demonstrated the capacity to provide direction and build on existing programmes.

He urged campaign council members to maintain a consistent message and ensure their activities reflected the retreat’s theme of one team, one strategy and one goal.

In his remarks, Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, urged party leaders to recognise their collective political strength and appreciate the opportunities the APC had provided.

Hamzat thanked participants for attending the retreat, saying they had a strong political platform and achievements to communicate to the electorate.

“You have a good product to sell, a good manifestation to launch and a good deal to showcase.

“Be proud of who you are, be proud of the party that has brought us together and be proud of the opportunities we have,” he said.

He urged participants to build stronger relationships, stressing that the retreat offered an opportunity to reinforce unity and shared responsibility ahead of the elections.

Earlier, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council, said the retreat was convened to strengthen unity at a critical stage in the party’s political journey.

He said electoral success required a clear vision, strategic planning, discipline and the ability of party leaders to pursue a common objective.

Obanikoro said individual positions and responsibilities would be most effective when they complemented one another, adding that no leader or campaign committee could succeed alone.

“Unity does not mean that we will always agree on every issue. Even when our opinions differ, we must remain committed to a common cause.

“We must pursue our shared objectives with discipline and mutual respect,” he said.

He urged participants to assess their preparedness, strengthen relationships, identify potential challenges and develop practical strategies for campaign coordination and grassroots mobilisation.

Obanikoro commended Sanwo-Olu for attending in spite of his demanding schedule, describing his presence as a demonstration of commitment to the party’s preparations.

He said sustaining public confidence required effective governance, continuous engagement with citizens and accountability to the electorate.

The retreat brought together APC leaders and senior campaign council members to discuss strategies for mobilising support for Tinubu, Hamzat and other party candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.