Ahead of the 2027 election, a frontline aspirant for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Lagos State, Samuel Ajose, has promised to deliver the state for President Bola Tinubu and prevent a repeat of the scenario that played out during the 2023 general election in the state.
Ajose added that this will be achieved through his 3.5 million voters under the SMA Movement, who have signified their intention to cast their votes for the party he presented to them during the poll.
According to him, this will further be replicated during the gubernatorial poll when handed the APC ticket ahead of the 2027 general election in the state.
The aspirant, popularly called SMA Gold stressed that all strategies have been concluded to campaign rigorously for President Tinubu, the governorship candidate, and others, in order to ensure the opposition parties do not pose threats to the ruling party during the poll.
He noted that the SMA Movement was mainly set up to support the President’s re-election in 2027 and sustain such momentum for him in the governorship in Lagos.
“We are delivering 3.5 million votes for Asiwaju’s re-election in Lagos. We are in this game to win; nobody should mistake it for anything else. As we are winning for Mr President, we are also winning for SMA Gold.
“We don’t want what happened in 2023 to repeat itself in 2027. This is why we are building this movement, to add strength to the APC and ensure a landslide victory,” he said.
Ajose, who stated this on Sunday during a General meeting of SMA Movement in Ikeja, where coordinators, including women and youths from 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas, gathered to discuss efforts made so far, disclosed that he has genuine plans for Lagos to boost its development
While urging the party leaders to ensure a free and fair direct primary for the gubernatorial ticket, he stressed that every aspirant should have the opportunity to gauge his popularity among party members in Lagos.
“We should go to the field and test everybody; that is how we will know who can deliver. Regardless of who wins, we will support the candidate. But we must allow a fair contest.
“Our President went into the primary in 2022, fought the battle, and emerged; he did not do this through consensus. This is what we are pleading for. Let everyone test his strength.”
Ajose, who spoke about the ongoing discussion over power rotation in Lagos, stressed that his ambition is not personal but for Lagos development, particularly for the Badagry Division where he hailed from, saying ‘Badagry Lokan’.
“Since Lagos was created in 1967, Badagry has not produced a governor, either military or civilian. That is why someone from Badagry has stepped forward to show that we have the capacity”.
Meanwhile, Ajose emphasised that he could only step down from the race when President Tinubu, who is the national leader of the party, intervenes and directs him to do so.
Earlier, a former member of the House of Representatives, Rafeeqot Onabamiro, urged members of the movement to intensify grassroots mobilisation, particularly among women.
“Over the years, it is the women who mobilise people around them to vote. We must use that strength for our party,” she said, adding that the group was not set up to antagonise other interests within the APC but to consolidate support for the President.
The Chairman of the SMA Movement, Dr Babatunde Mesewaku, said the movement’s goal is to help the APC and Tinubu win in 2027, as well as ensure that Ajose becomes Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s successor.
“Our structure is visible in every community in Lagos. We believe our efforts will not be in vain,” Mesewaku said.
The Director-General of the SMA Movement, Abiodun Coker, urged members to prepare for the challenges ahead. He said the political contest will be tough but can be won with strong grassroots work.