By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Director General of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Kadir Obafemi Hamzat (PBAT/KOH) Campaign Organisation, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State to close ranks ahead of the coming election, warning that internal contests must not be allowed to undermine the party’s larger interests.
Obanikoro made the call while delivering his welcome remarks at an interfaith prayer session organised for the APC, President Tinubu, Dr Hamzat and other party aspirants in Lagos, with the theme,“Let God Go Before Us.”
He said the gathering was convened to commit the party’s political journey to God ahead of the commencement of campaigns.
The Senator acknowledged that strategy, organisation, hard work and commitment were essential to electoral success but stressed that prayer also had a place in human affairs.
“If we believe that the spiritual influences the physical, then we must acknowledge that there is only so much we can accomplish by our own strength. There are circumstances beyond our control, and there are doors that only God can open,” he said.
Obanikoro explained that the prayer session brought together leaders from different faiths and traditions to seek divine guidance, protection, wisdom and favour as the party embarked on its electoral journey.
He prayed that God would go before the APC and its candidates, guide its leaders, protect its members and supporters, and grant the party a political process that would strengthen it and serve the interests of Lagos State and Nigeria.
Beyond the spiritual dimension, however, Obanikoro stressed the need for unity, discipline and responsibility among party members, noting that while aspirants might have different ambitions and preferences, they remained members of the same political family.
He disclosed that the party’s primary election had been concluded months earlier and urged all aspirants and members to put the contest behind them, warning against bitterness, division, recrimination and actions capable of working against the party’s collective interest.
“We must remember that our opponents will not distinguish between one aspirant and another. They will confront the APC as one political family. And if they see us as one, then we must respond as one,” he said.
The Senator urged members to move from competition during the primaries to respectful campaigning ahead of the general election, encouraging them to accommodate differences without turning political disagreements into personal conflicts.
“We competed with dignity. Let us campaign with respect. Let us disagree without becoming enemies. And now the time has come to stand together for the collective interest of our great party,” he said.
Obanikoro also reminded the party faithful that political office was temporary, while the relationships built among members and the society they ultimately left behind would endure beyond individual tenures.
He therefore urged APC members to move forward as one force, united by a common purpose, message and determination to secure victory for the party and contribute to a better future for Lagos State and Nigeria.
He concluded by praying for the party’s leaders and candidates and asking God to bless the APC, Lagos State and Nigeria and grant the party victory.
