The Lagos opposition political landscape took a sharp turn on Thursday when the People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship contesting candidate in the state, Laja Adeoye, officially joined the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in a strategic move ahead of the general elections slated for 2027.
The move was announced in Lagos and is aimed at protecting opposition candidates from the leadership crisis and legal issues that plague the PDP at the national level, and to continue preparations for the next electoral cycle.
While the PDP was moving to the APM platform, party leaders demanded that Adeoye and other party candidates be in full integration into the party political structure in Lagos.
The choice was made to prevent any form of distraction from the on-going litigations in the PDP and to keep the focus on the opposition’s grand political agenda of ejecting the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, the campaign organisation claimed.
The campaign office said the APM platform has been adopted to keep the party focussed, as there is too much work to complete for Lagos in 2027 to be side-tracked by internal party conflicts and squabbles that would not allow the party to provide the quality leadership Lagosians deserve.
It is believed to be in line with the general development of the coalition by the Oyo State Governor, Engr. In the South West, one of the most prominent protagonists of opposition realignments ahead of the elections is Seyi Makinde.
Similar schemes were also in progress in parts of the region as parties try to find a legally secure base in the midst of unclear divisions in the main opposition groups, political sources in the opposition said.
Adeoye had earlier become the consensus candidate of the Lagos PDP to become the party’s governorship candidate for the election, which was transferred to the APM platform with support from party stakeholders.
Lagos PDP Chairman, Dr. Amos Fawole, said the party has decided to enter into a strategic partnership with APM to ensure that its candidates are not denied the electoral process based on the reasons of legal complications and timeline of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said all PDP nominees in Lagos, including governorship, National Assembly and Lagos State House of Assembly candidates would now contest on the APM platform, meanwhile the party is pushing for resolution of its internal leadership matter.
In Lagos, the PDP are single minded towards Laja Adeoye and all the PDP candidates. The idea is to safeguard our candidates and continue the rescue mission from Lagos,” said Fawole.
The opposition also capitalised on the event to amplify its criticisms of the APC government in Lagos that it has not been doing enough to address economic hardship, debt, decay of infrastructures, shortage of housing and poor public service delivery since it assumed power over two decades ago.
The opposition bloc has blamed the city for the lack of adequate services, including traffic jams, flooding, high living expenses, unreliable power and “unbearable pressure” on families and businesses in the city.
But Adeoye said his political movement will promote the “Better Lagos Agenda 2027” or Atunto Eko 1.0: Re Engineering Lagos for Inclusive Prosperity.
He said the programme emphasizes on renewal of infrastructure, provision of affordable housing, economic revitalization, debt sustainability, security and inclusive development.
It’s about putting “Lagos first”. We are joined by our PDP brothers and sisters, in working with APM together, to bring about a new era of hardship and hardship for all Lagosians,” Adeoye said.
Meanwhile, opposition political leaders said the APM was on the rise all over the country ahead of the 2027 elections as more political leaders from various states were expressing interest in the party.
Party sources also said the APM is one of the “few remaining relatively peaceful political platforms” today that are not embroiled in major legal challenges, which they said could draw in more opposition politicians looking for clarity before the elections.
