Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has shared his views on why President Bola Tinubu lost Lagos in the 2023 presidential election.
Obanikoro spoke during an interview with Vanguard on Monday, February 23, 2026. He said several political factors worked against Tinubu during the election period. According to him, although party supporters made strong efforts during the campaign, some issues shaped how voters made their choices.
The former senator pointed to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as one of the reasons behind the outcome.
He explained that it was the first time such a ticket was presented at the national level in Nigeria. He said many Nigerians were used to seeing a balance between Muslims and Christians on presidential tickets. When that pattern changed, it created concerns among some voters.
Obanikoro noted that Lagos has a large Christian population. He described the state as a major base for many Christian organisations in the country. He said several churches and religious groups have their headquarters in Lagos or in nearby areas. Because of this, he said religion became an important topic during the election in the state.
He stated that some voters were worried that having candidates from the same religion at the top level could affect religious balance in leadership.
According to him, Nigerian politics has for many years followed an informal arrangement where both major religions are represented in key positions. When this long-standing pattern was altered, it led to different reactions from parts of the electorate.
Obanikoro also made it clear that religion was not the only issue that influenced the election result in Lagos. He said other political, social and campaign-related matters also played a role in shaping the final outcome.
“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,” he said.
