The All Progressives Congress in Lagos State has reaffirmed its target of securing five million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
The state chairman, Mr Cornelius Ojelabi, said the target remained a key electoral objective requiring effective grassroots mobilisation, strategic planning and accountability among party leaders.
Ojelabi spoke on Monday at a one-day retreat for party leaders and senior members of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council in Lagos.
The retreat had the theme, “The Road to the Ballot: One Team, One Strategy – Building an Effective Campaign for Electoral Success.”
“Our electoral target is clear and ambitious: five million votes out of the seven million votes we are targeting in Lagos State.
“This is not a figure to be repeated merely for its political appeal. It must become a measurable objective that informs our planning, resource allocation, mobilisation strategy and performance assessment.
“We believe this target is attainable because of the APC’s extensive grassroots structures, established political networks, committed membership and enduring presence across Lagos State,” he said.
Ojelabi said the party must translate its political structures into effective voter engagement and mobilisation to achieve the target.
He urged leaders to identify their constituencies, assess their strengths and weaknesses, address emerging concerns and regularly evaluate their progress.
The chairman said every local government, Local Council Development Area (LCDA), ward and polling unit must have clearly defined responsibilities and measurable targets.
He added that the party intended to surpass its previous electoral performance and demonstrate its organisational capacity in Lagos.
Ojelabi also announced plans to strengthen accountability among political officeholders and party stakeholders through an initiative tagged “Operation Deliver Your Polling Unit”.
He said the initiative would establish a closer link between political responsibilities, grassroots engagement and measurable electoral outcomes.
“The time has come to institutionalise a culture of measurable political responsibility in which every leader, officeholder, appointee and party functionary understands that electoral success begins at the polling unit.
“For too long, political performance has sometimes been discussed in broad, general terms, with individuals taking comfort in aggregate results without a clear assessment of their personal contribution to those outcomes.
“We must move away from that approach,” he said.
Ojelabi said he had directed party chairmen across the local governments and LCDAs to compile relevant details of polling units associated with political leaders, elected representatives, appointees and other key stakeholders.
He explained that the exercise would strengthen grassroots monitoring, identify areas requiring additional attention and provide a basis for evaluating political performance.
The chairman said the initiative would cover members of the National Assembly, federal and state appointees, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, local government officials and party officers across the various levels.
He, however, stressed that polling-unit performance must be assessed fairly, taking into account voter turnout, local dynamics, organisational strength and the challenges confronting each constituency.
Ojelabi urged party members to prioritise grassroots engagement over the pursuit of political recognition through visits to party offices and influential personalities.
“Political relevance cannot be manufactured from the corridors of party offices. It must be earned through consistent engagement with the people, loyalty to the party and demonstrable commitment to grassroots development.
“Politics is ultimately a local enterprise. It is built through relationships, trust, accessibility and the ability to mobilise people around shared interests.
“No title, appointment or political connection can permanently substitute for a credible support base,” he said.
He said the APC must communicate its achievements effectively, explain its programmes convincingly and demonstrate its commitment to the aspirations of Lagos residents.
According to him, the party must also sustain public confidence through responsible leadership, effective communication and genuine engagement with its supporters.
Ojelabi said the retreat was designed to strengthen coordination, clarify responsibilities and prepare party leaders for the 2027 elections.
He urged participants to put aside personal interests, embrace unity and develop actionable strategies capable of improving the party’s electoral performance.
The chairman expressed confidence that the APC could achieve its objectives through disciplined organisation and collective commitment.
He called on party leaders to ensure that the retreat produced practical solutions, clear responsibilities and measurable targets.
Ojelabi reiterated the importance of unity, discipline and accountability in converting the party’s political structures into electoral success.
APC national chair, Obanikoro speak
In his remarks, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, urged party leaders and members in Lagos to resolve their differences and unite behind the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Yilwatda said the retreat’s theme, “The Road to the Ballot: One Team, One Strategy — Building an Effective Campaign for Electoral Success,” was a call for members to subordinate individual ambitions to the collective interest of the party.
He said Lagos was strategically important to the APC because it had the highest number of registered voters in the country.
The national chairman acknowledged the party’s loss in the previous Lagos election, saying the APC must work to secure victory in the state in 2027.
“We lost the last election in Lagos and that is why I am here. We have to deliver the state in this election. This is a must-do for us as members of the APC,” he said.
Yilwatda urged party leaders to deepen their relationship with residents and communicate the benefits of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also called for reconciliation with aggrieved members, saying those who felt overlooked or excluded should be given opportunities to express their concerns and participate in the party.
“All hands must be on deck for reconciliation. Reconciliation is necessary. Every member who feels overlooked and unheard, I say there should be room for reconciliation,” he said.
He urged members to resolve disagreements through dialogue and support candidates selected by the party, even where they had personal reservations.
The national chairman warned against allowing internal divisions to undermine the APC’s electoral prospects, adding that the party must remain bigger than any individual.
He charged the Lagos chapter to build a stronger political structure, resolve internal disputes and mobilise effectively for the 2027 elections.
Earlier, the Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said electoral victory required discipline, strategic planning and sustained engagement with voters.
Obanikoro described the retreat as an opportunity for party leaders to align their political objectives, identify weaknesses and develop coordinated strategies for the campaign.
He urged participants to listen to one another, resolve differences and place the party’s collective interest above personal considerations.
The APC governorship candidate, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, also spoke at the retreat on the seven pillars of the state government’s PROMISE agenda.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the retreat was attended by various stakeholders in the party, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, members of the Governance Advisory Council, campaign leaders and directors, among others.
(NAN)