The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has announced a N20 million reward for the Local Government Area (LGA) that records the highest number of new voters in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, made the announcement at the 2025 State APC Stakeholders’ Forum held on Tuesday in Lagos, saying the incentive was designed to boost voter mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We are placing N1 million for the polling unit with the highest registration, N5 million for the ward with the highest, and N20 million for the top-performing local government,” Ojelabi declared. “So, the competition has started.”
He said the forum provided an opportunity for party leaders to review their performance over the last two years and re-strategise for future elections. Ojelabi charged APC leaders across polling units, wards, and LGAs to mobilise residents to register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), stressing that enthusiasm without a PVC would be of no electoral value.
“No matter how much you love the party, you can’t vote without your PVC,” he warned.
The APC chairman also announced plans for a statewide tour to galvanise grassroots participation and strengthen party structures ahead of 2027.
“I urge our leaders to deepen their impact in their communities. We have no other country but Nigeria, and our approach to solving our challenges must reflect the right attitude. The APC remains the nation’s party of hope, and we appreciate the trust and loyalty of our supporters,” he said.
Ojelabi further urged members to spread the message of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the president’s reforms were gradually repositioning the nation’s economy.
Representing APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, the party’s National Secretary Ajibola Basiru said the National Working Committee (NWC) was working to make the APC “the party of choice” in Nigeria. He challenged state chapters to ensure at least 85 percent voter turnout in the 2027 polls, announcing that a South-West ‘Train the Trainer’ programme would hold on November 3 and 4 to educate citizens on the administration’s achievements.
Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who also spoke at the event, expressed concern over declining voter turnout despite rising registration figures.
“We are seeing increasing voter registration and decreasing turnout — that’s not good for us,” Fashola said. “We used to be the party with the highest total votes. What happened? Where are our traditional voters? We must interrogate this.”
Recalling that Lagos once recorded about 1.5 million votes, with the closest rival at 300,000, Fashola urged party members to rekindle public enthusiasm.
“Hope is not lost. Let’s turn our renewed hope into renewed enthusiasm,” he added.
The event also featured remarks from federal and state legislators, including Dolapo Badru, Leader of the Lagos Caucus in the House of Representatives, and Tokunbo Abiru, Leader of the Lagos Caucus in the Senate. Both highlighted the federal government’s achievements over the past two years.
Cabinet members, including Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and Minister of Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Oduwole, also outlined progress made in education, trade, and industry under President Tinubu.
The forum drew a large attendance, including senators, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, council chairmen, traditional rulers, and prominent political figures such as former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, former Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and Chairman of the Lagos State Advisory Council, Tajudeen Olusi.