2027 Elections: Lagos East APC Leaders Sound Alarm Over Infighting, Call for Urgent Unity

Senior figures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos East Senatorial District have raised concerns over deepening internal divisions within the party, warning that unresolved factional disputes could weaken its chances ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The call for unity came during the Lagos East Senatorial District APC Stakeholders’ Meeting held on Thursday in Lagos, where party leaders openly acknowledged growing tensions and urged immediate reconciliation.

Addressing stakeholders, the senator representing the district, Tokunbo Abiru, admitted that lingering disagreements among party members remain a major challenge. He appealed to leaders across the district to begin deliberate reconciliation efforts aimed at healing rifts and reuniting aggrieved members.

Abiru stressed that party cohesion would be critical as preparations intensify for 2027, particularly as the APC seeks a second-term mandate for President Bola Tinubu. He argued that despite the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, the President’s “bold and difficult decisions” were beginning to yield stabilising results, making a strong case for continuity.

“The party must move forward as one,” he said, noting that unity would determine APC’s electoral strength in the coming years.

Also speaking, Lagos State APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, described Lagos East as a traditional stronghold of loyal party members but warned that declining discipline within the party could erode its long-standing dominance.

“Discipline is fundamental to what we are doing; without it, we will achieve nothing,” Ojelabi said.

He cautioned that the race for 2027 had effectively begun and urged members to embrace sacrifice, deepen internal democracy, and manage differences constructively. He also called on party leaders and council chairmen to mobilise residents to participate actively in the ongoing APC e-registration exercise, describing grassroots expansion as vital to the party’s future.

Former senator representing Lagos East, Olorunnibe Mamora, issued a stern warning against complacency, drawing parallels with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which once predicted decades of dominance but lost power after 16 years.

“We must avoid complacency and remain vigilant,” Mamora warned, urging both leaders and members to uphold their responsibilities within the party structure.

Representing council chairmen in the district, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Chairman and Conference 57 Chairman, Abdullahi Sesan-Olowa, lamented the impact of internal conflicts on political growth in Lagos East.

“We are far from where we should be politically,” he said, calling for renewed strategy, unity, and mutual understanding among party leaders.

The high-level meeting attracted key stakeholders, including members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji, members of the House of Representatives Wale Raji and Kafilat Ogbara, Lagos State House of Assembly members from Lagos East, council chairmen from the district’s five local governments, and members of the Lagos State Executive Council.