Political parties in Lagos State have begun intensifying preparations for the 2027 governorship election, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) activating its campaign machinery while opposition parties insist they are building grassroots support to challenge its dominance.
The APC recently inaugurated its campaign council, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as chairman and Deputy Governor and governorship candidate Obafemi Hamzat as deputy chairman.
Former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro was appointed director-general of the council, which also includes prominent party figures such as former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode.
The campaign structure features directorates responsible for party and inter-party affairs, logistics, traditional institutions, residents’ associations and grassroots coordination. The party said its mobilisation efforts would extend across the state’s senatorial districts, local government areas, wards and polling units.
The development has prompted renewed exchanges between the ruling party and opposition groups over their readiness for the forthcoming election, with APC leaders expressing confidence in their established political structure and opposition figures arguing that electoral victory will ultimately depend on voters.
An APC chieftain, Olamilekan Babalola, said the activities of opposition parties had yet to convince him that they possessed the organisational capacity to defeat the ruling party.
Babalola argued that elections could not be won through media appearances and social media campaigns alone, stressing the importance of grassroots mobilisation.
“Where are the opposition parties? What are they preparing? We have started our mobilisation, and our structures are already working. You cannot win Lagos by making noise on social media,” he said.
He maintained that the APC’s established structures across the state would give it an advantage as the election approaches.
The party chieftain also dismissed suggestions that the emergence of multiple opposition candidates would significantly alter the political landscape, insisting that the APC remained focused on mobilising voters at the local government, ward and polling-unit levels.
Asked whether any opposition party had demonstrated the capacity to dislodge the APC, Babalola said he had yet to see evidence of such strength.
His position echoes that of Sanwo-Olu, who recently challenged opposition parties to present alternative policies capable of competing with what the APC considers its achievements at the state and federal levels.
The governor argued that voters should not support a change of government merely for the sake of change, insisting that opposition parties must explain why their proposed alternatives would deliver better results.
ADC banks on grassroots mobilisation
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected suggestions that the APC’s campaign structure places it beyond the reach of opposition parties, insisting that its strategy centres on engaging voters and building support across communities.
The party has presented Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as its Lagos governorship candidate, with Gbadamosi Babatunde Olalere as his running mate.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 governorship election under the Labour Party, is returning to the race with a campaign focused on issues including flooding, housing, traffic and the living conditions of Lagos residents.
Speaking recently on Arise TV, he said he had learnt Yoruba and intended to use the language during his campaign, describing language and culture as important tools for engaging residents.
He has also questioned the eligibility of APC governorship candidate Hamzat, reviving issues surrounding alleged United States allegiance that featured in the 2023 election litigation.
An ADC chieftain, Michael Olusola, popularly known as Mr Ola, said the party was not intimidated by the APC’s campaign council, arguing that the size of a political structure did not automatically translate into electoral victory.
“APC can unveil as many people as it wants in its campaign council. What matters is the people. The election will be decided by Lagosians, not by the number of names in a campaign council,” Olusola said.
He added that the party had learnt lessons from the 2023 election and was working to address areas where the opposition had previously fallen short.
According to him, the ADC is concentrating on community engagement, grassroots organisation and persuading residents that an alternative government is possible.
“Structures are important, but structures do not vote. People vote. What we are doing is to convince Lagos residents that there is another option and that they have the power to decide what happens in 2027,” he said.
Olusola maintained that the party would approach the election with confidence, adding that the APC’s long period in government did not mean Lagos was permanently tied to one political party.
NDC says quiet campaign does not mean inactivity
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has also dismissed suggestions that limited public visibility translates into inadequate preparation for the election.
A party chieftain said the NDC was concentrating on grassroots mobilisation and developing its organisational structures rather than engaging in what he described as excessive social media publicity.
“Because you don’t see us making noise every day on social media does not mean we are not working. We are building our structures and engaging people on the ground. The election will not be decided by social media,” the chieftain said.
The party official acknowledged the strength of the APC’s political structure in Lagos but warned against interpreting the ruling party’s visibility as a guarantee of victory.
He maintained that the outcome would depend on votes cast by residents rather than the volume of publicity generated by political parties.
The NDC’s governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, has also publicly expressed confidence in his chances of becoming Lagos governor in 2027.
PDP, APM target voters across communities
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) have similarly insisted that their preparations extend beyond media appearances, saying they are working to strengthen their grassroots networks ahead of the election.
A PDP stakeholder, Ayomide Emmanuel, said the party was relying on its existing grassroots connections and engaging supporters across the state.
“We are working. The fact that you don’t see PDP making noise every day does not mean that our structures are sleeping,” Emmanuel said.
He added that the party was engaging voters and preparing to challenge the APC when the election takes place.
The PDP’s governorship candidate, Adedeji Doherty, has also expressed readiness to contest the election. The party’s mobilisation efforts include volunteer networks, ward-level engagement and door-to-door canvassing.
The APM, meanwhile, has adopted a more visible mobilisation strategy through its Lagos governorship campaign organisation, which recently commenced activities under the “Atunto Eko 1.0” agenda.
The party said it intended to take its message across the state’s local government areas and wards, while its leaders have held meetings involving party officials, National Assembly candidates and chairmen from the 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas.
An APM insider, who requested anonymity, said the party was building its campaign from the grassroots and would not be intimidated by the APC’s established political structure.
“We know APC has been in Lagos for a long time, but that does not mean that other parties cannot win. We are organising our people and taking our message to Lagosians. Our focus is on the grassroots,” the source said.
The APM’s Atunto Eko agenda focuses on issues including employment, healthcare, education, infrastructure, housing and security.
With the 2027 election approaching, the APC is relying on its established political machinery, while opposition parties are seeking to expand their support through grassroots engagement and policy-based campaigns.
The effectiveness of these strategies will ultimately be tested at the ballot box, where Lagos voters will decide whether to retain the ruling party or elect an alternative government.
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