Former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has urged Lagos residents to prevent a repeat of President Bola Tinubu’s defeat in the state during the 2023 presidential election.
Mr Ekpemupolo, founder of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, also urged residents to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He made the call through his representative, Kestin Pondi, at a rally organised to campaign for Tinubu’s re-election and distribute 57 campaign vehicles to the movement’s state coordinators.
“What happened in 2023 must not repeat. He must win convincingly in 2027,” he said.
Mr Tompolo described Mr Tinubu as a selfless and courageous leader who had continued to implement bold reforms despite their potential political consequences for his re-election.
He said the reforms were already yielding results for Nigerians, adding that Lagos had become a city for people from different parts of the country because of the foundation laid by Tinubu and sustained by successive governors.
“Lagos is the city for all Nigerians because someone stood firm to restructure and reform it. From the time he came into office in 1999 up to 2007 that he left, Lagos was the envy of other states,” he said.
“Today, he has a higher responsibility, an opportunity to replicate the Lagos success story in Nigeria through reforms. There is massive development across the states today because reforms are working.”
Mr Tompolo urged Lagos residents and other Nigerians to take the re-election campaign to households across the country to mobilise support for the president.
Speaking at the rally, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said Nigeria was attaining economic stability under the Tinubu administration.
Mr Sanwo-Olu urged residents to disregard opposition politicians, whom he accused of lacking concrete plans for the country and moving from one political party to another in pursuit of electoral victory.
He said the Tinubu administration had constructed more roads than previous administrations within three years, provided support for students, increased the minimum wage and made funds available for pension payments.
“Why won’t we vote for him? The entire Lagos is for Tinubu. All our votes are for Tinubu. You’ve done it before, you’ll do it again,” the governor said.
He urged supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.
“We will touch every corner of Lagos with our message to reelect Tinubu. Go out and convince everyone that Tinubu is the candidate to vote,” he said.