‘Don’t travel abroad until after elections’ – Lagos APC warns candidates

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed all its candidates contesting the 2027 general elections to remain in Nigeria until after the elections.

The state APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, issued the directive on Friday, September 18, 2026, during the inauguration of the party’s campaign council in Ikeja, Lagos. 

Ojelabi specifically instructed the party’s candidates to work closely with the campaign council and remain available for campaign and mobilisation activities across their constituencies.

“To our candidates, cooperate with the campaign council and make yourself available. After today’s inauguration, no candidate is allowed to travel outside the country until after the general elections,” Ojelabi said. 

The Lagos APC chairman said the campaign structure would operate across the state’s senatorial districts and local government areas, with candidates expected to maintain close contact with party officials and campaign coordinators.

The directive comes as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections. The Lagos APC has inaugurated a 1,235-member campaign council comprising 20 directorates to coordinate its campaign activities across the state. 

The party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, also urged APC members to confidently take the party’s message and record to voters during the campaign.

The Lagos APC leadership further called on its members to conduct their campaigns peacefully, focus on issues and avoid personal attacks and violence. 

The directive effectively means APC candidates in Lagos are expected to remain physically present in the country and available for campaign duties from now until the conclusion of the 2027 general elections.