Non-indigene voters increasingly determine electoral outcomes in Lagos and other cosmopolitan environments. Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, can unlock the bloc votes for President Bola Tinubu, writes Jonathan Eze.
As the political atmosphere gradually gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, fresh calculations are beginning to emerge within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over how President Bola Tinubu can consolidate and expand his electoral base across strategic urban centres, especially Lagos State.
While much attention has focused on economic reforms, governance and party structures, another major factor is quietly becoming central to APC’s long-term calculations, the battle for non-indigene votes, which resonates with the long standing slogan in Lagos, “Kosi Koro, Kosi Ibo” meaning without Obanikoro, there will be no votes.
Political observers increasingly argue that the 2027 elections in Lagos and parts of the South-West may no longer be won exclusively through traditional indigenous political structures.
The demographic realities of Lagos have changed significantly over the years. The state has evolved into a massive melting pot populated by millions of Nigerians from different ethnic nationalities, particularly Igbos, Edos, Urhobos and other South-South communities whose economic influence and voting strength continue to grow steadily.
