Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has offered his perspective on why President Bola Tinubu lost Lagos in the 2023 presidential election. Speaking to Vanguard on Monday, February 23, 2026, Obanikoro cited multiple political factors that influenced voter decisions despite strong campaign efforts by party supporters.
He specifically pointed to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as a key reason for the outcome. According to Obanikoro, it was the first time such a ticket was presented at the national level in Nigeria, breaking from the long-standing practice of balancing Muslim and Christian representation on presidential tickets. This change, he said, created concerns among some voters, particularly in Lagos, which has a substantial Christian population.
Obanikoro noted that Lagos serves as a major base for many Christian organisations, with several churches and religious groups headquartered in the state or nearby areas. He explained that religion became a significant consideration during the election, as some voters were apprehensive about having both top candidates from the same faith potentially affecting religious balance in national leadership.
He emphasized that Nigerian politics has historically followed an informal arrangement of religious representation in key positions, and altering this pattern elicited varying reactions among the electorate.
“Asiwaju lost Lagos for so many reasons, one it was a Muslim/Muslim ticket. Two, Lagos, whether you like it or not, is the capital of the Christian religious groups in Nigeria. All these religious associations or religious groups are all headquartered in Lagos or outskirts of Lagos, and they have a huge population,” Obanikoro stated.
