Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has renewed its mobilisation drive ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, declaring that the state will target at least two million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Adeola made the declaration on Saturday, October 3, 2026, during the inauguration of the City Boy Movement in Ogun State at the Ake Palace Pavilion in Abeokuta, where APC supporters gathered as the movement expanded its grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
The two-million-vote figure is a political target rather than a guaranteed electoral outcome. It would represent a substantial increase from the 341,554 votes Tinubu received in Ogun State in the 2023 presidential election, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Main Development
Adeola said Ogun State would mobilise no fewer than two million votes for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, linking the proposed support to what he described as the Federal Government’s infrastructure interventions in the state.
The declaration came during an event marking the formal expansion of the City Boy Movement in Ogun, a political support organisation associated with efforts to mobilise support for President Tinubu.
Reports from the event said the gathering attracted political figures and supporters from across the state, with the programme also involving the inauguration of the movement’s Ogun State structure and the commissioning of its state secretariat. The movement said the activities were intended to strengthen its organisation and grassroots presence.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the Senate and is the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate in the state, said the mobilisation for Tinubu would be sustained across Ogun.
He cited major federal infrastructure projects as part of the reasons he believes residents should support the President in the next election.
The declaration follows an earlier two-million-vote commitment made in September by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun at an APC rally in Ijebu-Ode.
At that event, Abiodun also pledged that Ogun would deliver two million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The rally was organised by Caucus 7202, a support group backing Adeola’s governorship ambition.
City Boy Movement Expands in Ogun
The inauguration of the City Boy Movement’s Ogun structure forms part of a broader effort by the group to establish a stronger grassroots network in the state.
The movement announced that its Ogun programme included the inauguration of its state executive, an empowerment programme and the commissioning of its state secretariat.
According to reports, the organisation said the expansion was designed to strengthen its presence at the grassroots and improve its organisational capacity across Ogun.
The event also drew several political figures, including Ogun Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele and other government and party officials.
The presence of Adeola at the event placed the mobilisation exercise within the wider APC campaign structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
For the ruling party, such support organisations provide additional channels through which political messages and campaign activities can reach voters beyond the formal structures of the party.
Adeola’s Position in the 2027 Ogun Race
Adeola is the APC’s consensus governorship candidate for Ogun State for the 2027 election.
The party endorsed him in April 2026 after consultations involving key party stakeholders. Governor Dapo Abiodun subsequently presented him to APC stakeholders in Ogun West.
Abiodun has argued that backing an Ogun West candidate would address what he described as a longstanding political imbalance, noting that the senatorial district had not produced a governor since the creation of Ogun State.
Adeola has also presented a development agenda centred on areas including infrastructure, job creation, agriculture, healthcare, education and industrialisation.
In September, he unveiled a nine-point agenda and said he would seek to build on ongoing projects and reforms if elected governor.
His campaign is therefore taking place on two interconnected fronts: securing the APC governorship in Ogun and helping the party maximise its presidential vote for Tinubu.
What Two Million Votes Would Mean
The two-million-vote target is significant when compared with Ogun’s previous presidential election results.
In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu won Ogun State with 341,554 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party received 123,831 votes, while Labour Party candidate Peter Obi polled 85,829 votes. The total number of valid votes was 580,124, according to the figures announced following the election.
A two-million-vote result would therefore be several times higher than Tinubu’s 2023 tally in the state.
It would also require a major increase in voter participation and an extensive mobilisation effort, given that only 612,341 voters were accredited for the 2023 presidential election in Ogun, with 611,448 total votes cast.
This comparison does not mean the 2027 target is impossible, because voter registration, turnout and the political environment can change between elections. However, it demonstrates the scale of the ambition announced by Ogun APC figures.
The two-million figure should consequently be understood as a campaign mobilisation objective rather than a prediction that can presently be independently verified.
Why Ogun Matters to Tinubu and the APC
Ogun is politically important because of its location, population, economic activity and close links with Lagos and other parts of south-western Nigeria.
The state is home to major industrial, commercial and agricultural activities and has a large electorate. Its proximity to Lagos also gives it strategic importance in the political calculations of parties seeking strong support across the South-West.
Tinubu won Ogun in 2023, giving the APC an important base from which to begin its preparations for the next presidential election.
The challenge for the APC in 2027 will be turning political support and campaign mobilisation into actual votes on election day.
That will depend on factors including voter registration, turnout, party organisation, candidate popularity, campaign performance and the strength of competing parties.
A large rally or support movement can demonstrate organisational capacity, but it cannot by itself establish how voters will ultimately cast their ballots.
Federal Projects Feature in APC’s Campaign Message
Adeola has repeatedly highlighted federal infrastructure projects when making the case for continued support for Tinubu.
Among the projects cited by the senator are the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, the Badagry-Sokoto corridor and rehabilitation work on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.
The APC is using such projects as part of its broader argument that the Tinubu administration has delivered infrastructure investments that could benefit Ogun residents.
However, the political significance of those projects will ultimately depend on how residents assess their implementation, economic impact and relevance to their communities.
For opposition parties, the same projects and the government’s broader record are likely to become subjects of scrutiny as the 2027 campaign develops.
Political Competition Will Shape the Target
The APC’s two-million-vote ambition comes before the full 2027 campaign contest has unfolded.
Political parties and candidates will seek to convince Ogun voters on issues ranging from the economy and employment to infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and governance.
The APC will have the advantage of controlling the state government and holding the presidency, but incumbency also means the party’s record will be closely examined by voters and opponents.
Adeola has pledged to continue the development direction of the Abiodun administration if elected, while opposition candidates are expected to present alternative policy proposals.
The ultimate contest will therefore not be determined solely by the number of people attending political rallies or the size of support groups.
Reactions and Political Mobilisation
The APC leadership in Ogun has expressed confidence in its organisational strength ahead of the election.
At the September mega rally in Ijebu-Ode, Governor Abiodun described the party as prepared for the 2027 elections and urged members to intensify grassroots mobilisation across wards and communities.
Adeola has similarly called on APC supporters to maintain unity and work towards victory for the party’s candidates.
His appearance at the City Boy Movement’s Ogun inauguration reinforces the growing emphasis on grassroots political structures as the 2027 election approaches.
The movement’s expansion also shows that the campaign for presidential support is increasingly being organised through networks beyond the formal party machinery.
The Electoral Reality Behind the Numbers
While political parties regularly announce ambitious vote targets, actual election results depend on voters and the electoral process.
The difference between a campaign target and a final result is particularly important in this case.
Tinubu’s 341,554 votes in Ogun in 2023 represented a strong performance, but it was still far below the two million votes now being targeted for 2027.
For the APC to reach the new target, the party would need a dramatic expansion in the number of voters participating and an exceptionally strong level of support among those who cast valid ballots.
The target therefore provides an indication of the scale of the mobilisation effort the party intends to undertake rather than evidence of an established voting pattern.
This distinction is important for voters and readers assessing political claims ahead of the election.
Why It Matters
The two-million-vote declaration matters because it signals the level of support the APC hopes to build for Tinubu in one of the South-West’s strategically important states.
It also demonstrates the close relationship between the 2027 presidential and governorship contests in Ogun.
Adeola is seeking to succeed Abiodun as governor, while the state APC is simultaneously campaigning for Tinubu’s second-term bid.
The success or failure of the two-million-vote target could become an important measure of the APC’s grassroots mobilisation capacity in Ogun.
More broadly, the declaration reflects the early intensification of political activity across Nigeria more than a year before the 2027 general elections.
Political parties are already selecting candidates, organising support groups, promoting government records and attempting to establish narratives that could influence voters.
What Happens Next
The APC is expected to continue grassroots mobilisation across Ogun State as the 2027 elections approach.
The City Boy Movement’s new state structure is expected to form part of that wider mobilisation network, while established APC structures and support groups such as Caucus 7202 continue their activities.
Adeola will also continue campaigning for the governorship while promoting the APC’s broader electoral objectives.
The key test will come when voters eventually decide at the ballot box.
Until then, the two-million-vote figure remains a political target announced by APC leaders and not an independently established forecast of the 2027 presidential result in Ogun.
The 2027 election will ultimately determine whether the party can translate its current mobilisation efforts, political structures and campaign promises into the level of electoral support it is seeking.
WENG Global — stories beyond borders
Sources
- Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as reported in election result coverage
- The PUNCH
- Channels Television
- Voice of Nigeria
- The Guardian Nigeria
- City Boy Movement
- The Times Nigeria
