Ndigbo In APC In Lagos And The Tinubu 2027 Battle

The question being asked is simple: what will be the role of Ndigbo in the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Tinubu 2027 battle?

The question has become important because of what happened in the 2023 general elections, when Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party won Lagos State in the presidential election.

That result changed the political calculation in Lagos. For many years, Ndigbo in Lagos APC had been a visible part of the party. Under the leadership of Chief Joe Igbokwe, the Leader of Ndigbo in APC in Lagos State, the group positioned itself as the bridge between the party and the large Igbo population in Lagos. It mobilised, defended the party and gave Ndigbo in Lagos a voice inside the APC.

But in 2023, despite their presence and efforts, the APC lost Lagos to Peter Obi. The majority of Igbo voters in Lagos voted for Obi, their kinsman, and not for the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is now President.

Since then, political observers say the influence of Ndigbo in Lagos APC has been under serious review. Some party stakeholders believe the 2023 result showed that the Ndigbo structure in Lagos APC could not deliver the Igbo votes it promised.

Others believe the situation is more complex. They argue that Peter Obi’s victory in Lagos in 2023 was not just an Igbo vote, but a protest vote by many Lagosians, including youths, non-indigenes and even some Yoruba voters who wanted change.

They also argue that not all Ndigbo in Lagos voted for Peter Obi, and that many still voted for Tinubu and the APC in 2023.

However, inside the Lagos APC, there is now a new thinking ahead of 2027. The thinking is that the Tinubu 2027 project will not depend mainly on Ndigbo in Lagos APC, but on the core structures of the party in Lagos, the South West, the North and the South South.

Supporters of this view say Lagos APC must rebuild its grassroots base and focus on voters who have consistently stood with the party, rather than relying on structures that could not prevent the 2023 defeat in Lagos.

On the other hand, supporters of Ndigbo in Lagos APC warn that writing off Ndigbo completely could be dangerous for the party. They say Lagos is a cosmopolitan state, and no party can win Lagos comfortably without carrying along all ethnic groups, including Ndigbo.

They insist that Ndigbo in Lagos APC, under Chief Joe Igbokwe, are still committed to the APC and to President Tinubu, and that 2027 will be an opportunity to correct the mistakes of 2023.

As 2027 approaches, the battle for Lagos will again be fierce. Whether Ndigbo in Lagos APC will regain their relevance, or whether their influence has truly declined after Peter Obi won Lagos in 2023, will be decided by how the party manages inclusion, mobilisation and trust in the coming months.