The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its target of securing five million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, with party leaders pledging to intensify grassroots mobilisation across the state.

The state APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, announced the target on Monday at a one-day retreat for leaders and senior members of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council in Lagos.

Ojelabi said the party was targeting five million votes out of an anticipated seven million votes in the state, describing the objective as a measurable electoral goal requiring strategic planning, effective resource allocation and regular performance assessment.

He said the APC’s grassroots structures, political networks and membership base provided a foundation for achieving the target, but stressed that these advantages must translate into sustained engagement with voters.

The chairman urged party leaders to identify their constituencies, assess their strengths and weaknesses, address emerging concerns and evaluate their progress regularly.

He said every local government area, Local Council Development Area, ward and polling unit must have clearly defined responsibilities and measurable targets.

As part of the strategy, Ojelabi announced an initiative tagged “Operation Deliver Your Polling Unit”, designed to link political responsibilities with measurable electoral performance.

He said party chairmen across local governments and LCDAs had been directed to compile details of polling units associated with political leaders, elected representatives, political appointees and other key stakeholders.

The exercise, he explained, would help the party monitor grassroots mobilisation, identify areas requiring additional attention and assess the contributions of individual political actors.

Ojelabi, however, said performance assessments must account for voter turnout, local political dynamics, organisational strength and the challenges confronting individual constituencies.

He urged party members to prioritise direct engagement with residents rather than relying on political titles, appointments or proximity to influential figures.

According to him, sustained relationships with communities, public trust and effective communication would be essential to converting the party’s structures into electoral support.

The APC chairman also called on members to communicate the administration’s achievements and programmes more effectively while addressing the concerns of Lagos residents.

Speaking at the retreat, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda urged party leaders to resolve internal disagreements and unite behind the party’s candidates ahead of the elections.

Yilwatda acknowledged that the APC lost the presidential election in Lagos in 2023 and said the party needed to strengthen its organisation to improve its performance in 2027.

He called for reconciliation with aggrieved members, urging the leadership to listen to those who felt excluded and create opportunities for their participation in party activities.

The national chairman warned that internal divisions could undermine the party’s preparations and urged members to place collective interests above personal ambitions.

Earlier, the Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council, Musiliu Obanikoro, said electoral success required discipline, coordinated planning and sustained voter engagement.

The APC governorship candidate, Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, also addressed participants on the seven pillars of the Lagos State Government’s PROMISE agenda.

The retreat brought together Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, members of the Governance Advisory Council, campaign officials and other party stakeholders to coordinate preparations for the 2027 elections.