2027: Doherty Says Obi Can Win Lagos Again

The Lagos governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Funso Doherty, has expressed confidence that the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, can repeat his 2023 electoral performance in Lagos State, insisting that his support base remains strong.

Doherty made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, following an attack on the party’s town hall meeting in Lagos.

He dismissed suggestions that Obi’s defection from the Labour Party to the NDC could weaken his appeal, arguing that voters are drawn more to his political beliefs and leadership approach than to the party platform on which he contests elections.

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“The idea of a new party is not something that we should hang our hat on anymore in our clime. Parties may be new, but the individuals involved are not new.

“But the reception of Peter Obi today, that is how it is everywhere he goes. This is a man who is loved by the people. They view him as a different kind of politician, for good reason, and those of us who align with that philosophy and thinking,” he said.

According to Doherty, Obi continues to receive strong public support wherever he goes, and those who underestimate his political influence risk misjudging the level of his popularity.

“Anybody who is making a contrary case, time will tell. But I would advise them that if they are saying that just to downplay his significance, I think it will be a grave mistake on their part because his support base is still strong. I have seen it, not just today; we have seen it multiple times,” he added.

He also pointed to the response of NDC supporters during Thursday’s disruption as evidence that the enthusiasm behind Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign remains intact.

Funso-Doherty — Funso Doherty, governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Lagos. Credit: Punch.

Doherty said the supporters refused to abandon the gathering despite the attackers’ attempts to disperse them, describing their resolve as a sign that the political movement built around Obi had not lost its momentum.

“Those guys came in today probably thinking they would have an easy ride of it. They would come in and do what they might normally do, scatter things and people would run away. But people were not in that frame of mind.

“We have laboured for this, and you cannot deprive us of it. And I think that spirit is alive and strong. To those who might think that, following 2023, people have lost some of that energy, I think, if anything, today should let us know that it is game on,” he said.

Doherty condemned the attack on the party’s town hall meeting at Classic Event Place in Oregun, Ikeja, describing the incident as unnecessary and unprovoked.

Suspected political thugs reportedly stormed the venue on Thursday before Obi and other party leaders arrived.

The attackers were said to be carrying cutlasses, cudgels and stones, and allegedly vandalised property and damaged several vehicles within the premises.

NDC supporters resisted the assault, confronting the attackers and throwing chairs in an effort to drive them away. The confrontation disrupted preparations before security operatives intervened.

The meeting later went ahead, with Obi, Senator Victor Umeh and activist Aisha Yesufu among those who attended.

Doherty praised the supporters who stood their ground, describing them as heroes and saying their actions demonstrated the willingness of ordinary Nigerians to defend their democratic rights.

Obi contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party and finished third nationally, behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar.

In Lagos, however, Obi defeated Tinubu with 582,454 votes against the APC candidate’s 572,606.