The recent endorsement of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, as the successor of governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu come 2027, by President Bola Tinubu and others, sparks outrage within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state
By Lukmon Ojerinde
At last, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally endorsed Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election in the state.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 in a post on X, stating that the endorsement was made during a meeting with members of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC), led by Tajudeen Olusi, alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Tinubu’s endorsement of the deputy governor, has since consolidated Hamzat’s position within the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a separate post on X, Mr Hamzat confirmed the endorsement, describing it as a vote of confidence by the president and leader of the party.
The deputy governor added that he remained committed to sustaining the developmental foundation laid by President Tinubu in Lagos, noting that the state is an ongoing project with more work ahead.
He said, “I am indeed very grateful for the vote of confidence and endorsement. I am fully aware of the responsibility it carries. I am enthusiastic and looking forward to continuing on the good work and the foundation the President has laid in Lagos State.
“Lagos State is an ongoing project because we are the yardstick for development and progress. There is still a lot of work ahead, we have an election to win and a legacy to protect. I therefore remain focused on the journey ahead”.
Selection of candidates in Lagos APC is either through consensus arrangement led by party leaders, especially the GAC, or through formal primaries as provided by party rules. While some contests, including the 2015 and 2018 governorship races, were competitive, endorsements by party leaders often shape outcomes before the vote, giving consensus candidates an advantage.
Mr Hamzat previously contested for the Lagos APC governorship ticket, including the 2015 primary against Akinwunmi Ambode, which he lost, and the 2018 contest where he stepped down for Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who went on to win the nomination and the election.
Remarkably, despite the wide endorsements Mr Hamzat has received, a former governorship candidate in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has purchased the APC’s Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to contest for the party’s governorship ticket.
Mr Adediran, who was the People’s Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in 2023, defected to the APC last year. He has repeatedly called for a competitive primary election in the APC, campaigning against the adoption of “an annointed candidate”, in the lead-up to the 2027 general election.
But Mr Adediran is the only one known yet to have defied the endorsements of Mr Hamzat by going ahead to obtain nomination forms to jostle for the party’s governorship ticket with him.
Leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress APC, in Lagos State have endorsed the nomination form of the Deputy Governor and APC governorship consensus candidate ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 governorship elections.
The nomination form was signed by 120 bonafide leaders and members of the ruling APC across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the State.
Those who signed the form, were members of the GAC, local government chairmen, former and current public office holders, state and local government party executives and party members across Lagos State.
While signing Hamzat’s form as required by the APC guidelines ahead of the party’s primary elections, the leaders and members of the ruling party expressed confidence in the candidacy of the Deputy Governor and promised to support him.
At the last count, Jandor has reportedly stepped down for Hamzat. Former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode also congratulated the Deputy Governor on his emergence as the APC consensus candidate.
Adediran announced his withdrawal last week while addressing the media, party leaders of the Lagos4Lagos Movement and his ardent followers, held at Liberty House, Adeniyi Jones Secretariat, Ikeja. Jandor, who was silent on his next move, however, urged his supporters to maintain calm and allow party supremacy to prevail.
Jandor purchased the Expression of Interest (EoI) and Nomination Forms to contest the governorship election in Lagos State ahead of the 2027 on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
Speaking to the audience, Adediran said, “Yesterday, (Wednesday) a lot happened between how many hours. I think two hours after I purchased nomination forms and displayed. We saw the GAC with Mr President and the sitting deputy Governor, Hamzat. We were there together.
“They had a meeting and it was clearly stated by the release put out by aide of Mr. President, that Mr. President has endorsed the candidacy of Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
“The moment that happened I had to go back to my initial word that whoever and wherever Mr. President goes is where we will stay. As a result of that am announcing my withdrawal from the race”.
Ambode, in a statement on X titled: “Big Moment for Lagos and the APC”, also said, “Congratulations to Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat on emerging as our party’s Consensus Governorship Candidate. Your years of loyalty, consistency, and service have rightfully earned this mandate. I remain committed to support the re-election of our Leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
“This is a disciplined call to stay united, focused on our collective progress. Our commitment to the party remains unwavering, fully aligned with the leadership and vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Now, the focus is simple: to secure victory and advance a more Lagos and Nigeria”, he said.
In the same vein, GAC, and APC leadership in Lagos State, also adopted the Deputy Governor, Dr Hamzat, as the consensus candidate for the 2027 elections.
The GAC is the highest decision-making organ of the APC in Lagos. Recall that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, April 27, 2026 threw his weight behind Hamzat for the APC ticket.
Governor Sanwo-Olu and the leader of GAC, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, announced the adoption following a closed-door meeting held at Lagos House, Marina.
While the GAC has agreed to purchase the N50 million governorship nomination forms for Hamzat, the council, however, clarified that despite the consensus, the APC will still conduct primaries for all positions. Speaking after the end of the meeting, Olusi said, “We deliberated on the forthcoming primaries of our party in preparation for the 2027 general elections in our state, and we examined the position of the governorship for 2027.
“The constitution of our party provides for primaries and our party has guaranteed free primaries for all members, for all aspirants, for all interested individuals. However, that very constitution also allows us to look at the issue of consensus. Consensus is a platform that can bring us together, fostering peace and unity.
“Following this option we have adopted, we have all agreed that Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the current deputy governor of our state, is the consensus candidate of our party and we have all pledged to stand by him”.
It was gathered that the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, is set to contest for the House of Representatives seat for Agege Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections, shifting from an initial governorship bid.
Obasa, who had nursed aspirations to succeed Governor Sanwo-Olu, reportedly intensified statewide political consultations through the revival of the Mandate Group, a legacy political structure associated with President Bola Tinubu.
The move, was aimed at consolidating support among both old and new loyalists of the president while positioning himself as a formidable contender for the governorship.
