By Adeyemi Adeleye
The Lead Visioner of Lagos4Lagos Movement, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, on Thursday met with Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro at the APC campaign office in Ikeja to strategise on grassroots mobilisation for APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obanikoro is the Director-General of the campaign organisation of the APC governorship candidate in Lagos, Dr Obafemi Hamzat in 2027.
Adediran, a former governorship aspirant, arrived at the KOH/PBAT 2027 Campaign Office in Ikeja with no fewer than 300 members of the Lagos4Lagos Movement.
Adediran’s loyalists were drawn from the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LG/LCDAs) across Lagos.
Speaking with newsmen, Adediran said that meeting focused on strengthening political engagement, unity and collaboration between Lagos4Lagos and the APC campaign organisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Since the day we withdrew from the race. We said we would support whoever the party decided to support, and we have had that conversation today.
“We are here to support the party, the President and all the candidates of the party in the 2027 election. We want to right the wrongs of the 2023 election. It was simply a family meeting.
“It is time for us to get out of our comfort zones. The 2027 election will not be business as usual because there are a lot of people who want to wrestle this power at all costs.
“But we must give it our all. We must embrace everybody, especially those on the ticket,” he said.
According to him, party candidates and all stakeholders need to carry everybody along and work with everybody to achieve the goal.
He stressed that the Presidential election remains the first battle everyone must fight.
“This is the time to give our very best, protect our state and secure our legacy,” he said.
He said the meeting was aimed at discussing the integration of Lagos4Lagos into the APC grassroots mobilisation structure ahead of the elections.
He pledged the support of Lagos4Lagos for the APC and said the movement was ready to work with the party to secure victory for President Bola Tinubu and Hamzat in the 2027 elections.
He said he withdrew from the APC governorship primary out of respect for President Tinubu and leaders of the party.
He said Lagos4Lagos had continued to support the APC during the last local government elections, despite not presenting candidates for the polls.
Adediran said the quick response of his supporters to Obanikoro’s invitation demonstrated their readiness to work with the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
He disclosed that the movement was already preparing to deploy two representatives to each of the more than 13,000 polling units across Lagos State.
He also pledged his support for the APC Governorship Candidate Dr Obafemi Hamzat, assuring that his campaign organisation was ready to provide the necessary support and mobilisation required to secure victory for the APC candidates.
Earlier, Obanikoro said the campaign organisation would adopt an inclusive approach and urged members of Lagos4Lagos to integrate into the party’s grassroots structures.
He said the APC had identified low voter turnout as one of the factors responsible for its performance in previous elections.
“We are all members of the same family, and everybody should embrace one another. We are trying to dot the I’s and cross the T’s,” he said.
The campaign DG recalled that during the last registration exercise of the APC, the party had over one million registrations in Lagos.
“We are trying to harness that one million-plus membership to ensure that, minimally, we secure two million votes. It is going to be more than that, but at least two million votes is our minimum target.
“We will see more activities at the ward level. In the past, people used to troop to the state campaign office for political activities. But in politics, they say all politics is local.
“What we are trying to do is de-emphasise the top and emphasise the bottom, because that is where the votes are. what we are trying to do is give everybody a pride of place in what we are doing,” Obanikoro said.
He said that the party would give everyone a sense of belonging, to bring out the best in them in order to maximise electoral fortune in Lagos.
Obanikoro urged members to mobilise voters at the ward and local government levels, stressing that elections were won through effective grassroots mobilisation.
He said the campaign structure would be strengthened across the senatorial districts, local governments and wards to improve the party’s performance in the 2027 elections.
Obanikoro also urged party members to set aside personal differences and focus on the larger objective of winning the 2027 elections.
He expressed confidence in the APC’s prospects, describing Hamzat as an experienced candidate.
Obanikoro called on members of the party and the movement to work together to deliver victory for Tinubu and Hamzat in the 2027 elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Adediran had obtained APC’s expression of interest and nomination forms to run for governorship before stepping down for Hamzat,the party ‘s consensus candidate.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AYO/BHB
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Edited by Buhari Bolaji