Stakeholders of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have unanimously endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term, saying the president has achieved a lot in the last two years. They, therefore, urged him to run for the presidency in 2027.
The stakeholders, including the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his predecessors, Mr Babatunde Fashola and Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; the State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadir Obafemi Hamzat; his wife, Oluremi Tinubu; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; traditional rulers; members of the APC National Working Committee; and serving federal and state lawmakers – gave the endorsement on Tuesday in Lagos at a gathering attended by thousands of party chieftains from across the state.
The motion endorsing President Tinubu to run for another term in 2027 was moved by the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, and seconded by Obasa, who said the president had done enough in the last two years to merit a second term in office.
Participants at the APC Stakeholders’ Forum 2025, held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, also stressed the need for unity among party chieftains and members to ensure victory for President Tinubu and the APC in the next general elections.
In his remarks, Governor Sanwo-Olu said President Tinubu deserved another term, having fulfilled many of his campaign promises to Nigerians.
Sanwo-Olu noted that the decision to endorse President Tinubu was unanimous, expressing confidence that ‘this message will get to Aso Rock, it will get to the Villa, and will reach all the nooks and crannies of this great country.’
‘Our president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was once the 12th governor of Lagos State. We have listened to all our stakeholders here today, and by unanimous decision, we are going to ask someone to move the motion and another to second it.
‘All the representatives of the stakeholders on this stage have reached a conclusion that he, the President and Commander-in-Chief, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should present himself to return as our president.
‘I believe that this message will get to Aso Rock, it will get to the Villa, and will reach all the nooks and crannies of this great country,’ he said.
Oba Shotobi, who spoke on behalf of traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Lagos State while moving the motion, said: ‘We endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to go for the second term. So I move.’
Seconding the motion, Hon. Obasa said: ‘In view of the submissions made by all the stakeholders and the motion just moved by our Royal Majesty of Ikorodu, I do hereby second the motion of my colleagues from Lagos State, our Assembly, and the people of Lagos State. I so second.’
Speaking on why President Tinubu should be considered for another term in office, Lagos Deputy Governor Dr Hamzat emphasized the need for continuity, stating that the leadership at the federal level under President Tinubu had continued to demonstrate courage, vision, and commitment to national transformation.
Hamzat said the ongoing reforms under Tinubu’s leadership were driven by renewed hope, productive governance, and economic recovery, adding that it was in the collective interest of party members to ‘endorse and support the leadership at the federal level for a second term.’
‘As we look toward the future, we must recognize the importance of continuity. The leadership at the federal level, under the visionary guidance of His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has continued to demonstrate courage, vision, and commitment to national transformation.
‘The reforms being experienced under the leadership of our revered leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, are driven by renewed hope, productive governance, and economic recovery. It is, therefore, in our collective interest and in the spirit of progress that we, as loyal members of the APC family in Lagos State, endorse and support the leadership at the federal level for a second term.
‘We owe it to our party, our state, and our nation to continue building on the achievements we have made. Let us go back to our wards, our local governments, and our constituencies as ambassadors of the APC, spreading the message of good governance, unity, and progress. Let us mobilize, sensitize, and encourage others to stand firmly behind our leaders, confident that the continuity of progressive leadership will bring even greater prosperity to our people,’ he stated.
Speaking on the performance of the current administration, Dr Hamzat said Lagos residents had witnessed remarkable transformation across all sectors in the last six years under the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
According to him, the Sanwo-Olu administration, guided by the THEMES+ Agenda – an acronym for Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy; Entertainment and Tourism; and Security and Governance – had driven inclusive and sustainable development across the state.
‘I say with boldness that the THEMES+ Agenda was not just a slogan; it was a blueprint for progress – a plan anchored on deliberate, inclusive, and sustainable development. From infrastructural renewal to human capacity building, Lagos has continued to move forward with incredible energy and purpose.
‘It will be an understatement to say that Lagos State, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has become a beacon of hope for Nigerians. We have become a model for progress and an example of what’s possible when leadership and people align.
‘Today, Lagos stands tall as a model of excellence and good governance. Other states across Nigeria continue to visit Lagos to understudy our systems – from taxation and revenue administration to traffic management, healthcare delivery, and urban planning. This is not by chance; it is the product of consistency, planning, and execution,’ Hamzat said.
In a lecture titled ‘Voter Apathy and the Sanctity of Elections in Nigeria’s Budding Democracy,’ Mr Fashola emphasized the need to mobilize and engage young people to vote during elections.
He noted that the Stakeholders’ Forum was timely, as some of those who once opposed the APC were now realizing the difficulty of forming a merger like the one that birthed the party.
‘The Lagos APC Stakeholders’ Forum is coming up at a time when some of those who emerged as the opposition are now seeing how difficult it is to form a merger like the APC did. The opposition is now realizing the long path we walked to get to where we are.
‘We are facing the reality of declining voter registration and turnout. In 2023, we had about 93 million registered voters in the country, but the average turnout was under 30%, which is not good enough.
‘Political participation is driven by enthusiasm. If people are enthusiastic, they will turn out to vote. But hope is not lost because we are in a season of renewed hope, and we will turn that into renewed enthusiasm for our party and its programmes,’ he said.