Mrs Mojisolaoluwa Alli-Macaulay, Executive Director, Operations, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), has described the outcome of the 2023 general election in Lagos as a “wake-up call”, saying the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has learnt its lessons ahead of the 2027 elections.
Alli-Macaulay stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.
She said the victory of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Lagos in the 2023 election served as a lesson to APC members and supporters.
“2023 was a wake-up call for us. We have learnt from what happened and we will not allow such a situation to repeat itself in 2027.
“APC will win convincingly, but we must return to the grassroots, engage our people and ensure that the achievements of the administration are properly communicated to the electorate,” she said.
The former Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 1 said the party had strengthened its structures at the ward and local government levels ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to her, sustained engagement with the people remains critical to retaining their confidence and support.
“We cannot afford to sit back and assume that Lagos belongs to us. Politics is about people, and we must continuously engage the people, listen to their concerns and work with them.
“The APC must remain visible at the grassroots and ensure that every member understands the importance of active participation in the political process,” she said.
Alli-Macaulay also urged party members to close ranks and work together irrespective of their differences, stressing that unity would be essential to the party’s success in 2027.
She said internal disagreements should not be allowed to undermine the party’s collective objective of retaining control of Lagos.
“Differences are normal in politics, but they should never become bigger than the party.
“We must learn to resolve our differences internally and present a united front to the electorate,” she said.
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The NSITF executive director said the APC-led administration had made efforts to address some of the challenges confronting Nigerians, adding that the party needed to communicate its policies and programmes more effectively.
She said Nigerians deserved to understand the impact of government policies rather than relying solely on narratives from political opponents.
“We must take our message to the people and explain what the government is doing in a language they understand.
“Where there are challenges, we must acknowledge them and continue to seek solutions,” she said.
Alli-Macaulay called on youths and women to take a more active role in the political process, saying their participation was crucial to the future of democracy in Lagos and Nigeria.
She said, “Our youths and women must not remain on the sidelines.
“They have an important role to play in determining the direction of our society, and we must continue to encourage their participation in governance and politics.”
She further appealed to APC supporters to remain committed, peaceful and law-abiding before, during and after the 2027 elections.
“Elections should be about ideas, programmes and service to the people.
“We must conduct ourselves responsibly and allow the people to make their choices freely and peacefully,” Alli-Macaulay said.
