Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced that President Bola Tinubu has endorsed his bid for the governorship ahead of the 2027 Lagos State elections.
Hamzat made the statement following a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday between President Tinubu and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC). The GAC delegation, led by chairman Prince Tajudeen Olusi, presented Hamzat to the President and received Tinubu’s blessing for the council’s decision to support his candidacy.
“These are fathers, they are leaders, they’ve seen many Christmases and many Eid al‑Adha; they have experience, and therefore I’m really excited that they brought me here to meet Mr President. Mr President has blessed us and blessed the decision of GAC,” Hamzat told reporters.
The deputy governor described the governorship as an “audacious” assignment, emphasizing that his experience as Lagos’s second‑highest elected official has prepared him for the role. “Nobody is ready because the assignment is audacious. But what you have is experience. Having served as Deputy Governor of Lagos under Governor Sanwo‑Olu, I’ve learned a lot. I know the room. I know where the kitchen is. If you want to cook for people and you don’t know the kitchen, it doesn’t matter how good a chef you are – you must know the kitchen,” he said.
The announcement aligns with a Daily Post report that Tinubu, on Wednesday, endorsed Hamzat as the consensus APC candidate for Lagos State’s 2027 governorship election. The endorsement signals party unity ahead of the upcoming general elections, in which the APC seeks to retain control of Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Hamzat, 59, has been Deputy Governor of Lagos State since 2019. Prior to that, he served as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, where he oversaw major road and infrastructure projects. His tenure as deputy governor has included initiatives in transportation, urban planning, and digital governance, positioning him as a prominent figure within the state’s political landscape.
The endorsement by President Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos and a senior figure in the APC, is likely to influence the party’s internal selection process and could shape the broader electoral dynamics in Lagos, a state that accounts for a significant portion of Nigeria’s electorate. As the 2027 election cycle approaches, the focus will shift to party primaries, campaign strategies, and voter mobilization efforts. Hamzat’s next steps are expected to involve consolidating support within the APC and articulating a policy platform that builds on his experience in Lagos’s executive branch.
