By Akinwale Kasali
Lagos State, known as the Commercial Hub of Nigeria and the home of Aquatic Splendour in Nigeria has witnessed an ‘uninterrupted’ grip of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since 1999 when democracy berthed after Military Rule came to an abrupt halt in 1999.
Tinubu, has been the decision maker and decider of who becomes the Governor of the State since he left the saddle as Governor in 2007.
He unilaterally installed Babatunde Raji Fashola in 2007 as Governor of the State, and went ahead to install Akinwunmi Ambode in 2015 and Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in 2019 till date.
As the 2027 General Election gathers momentum, there have been speculations on who succeeds Sanwo-Olu as Governor of the State.
Many have been tipped to take over the saddle at the Alausa Government House, with Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, alongside Tayo Ayinde; Chief of Staff to Governor Sanwo-Olu; Former Governor, Ambode, also tipped to return after just spending a term as Governor of the State.
But Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor to Sanwo-Olu has seen his name surprisingly spring up, having spent two terms with the incumbent Governor.
Hamzat’s name came as a surprise to many who had thought that having seen a Muslim Governor emerge from 1999 to 2015, it is ideal for a Christian Governor to rule the State from 2015 to 2027, for fairness.
Leading to the call from some quarters that Ambode should be giving the nod to return as Governor to complete a- two term and 16 Years rule of a Christian Governor in the State.
There, however, seems to be another plan in the offing. The lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, James Abiodun Faleke, has publicly declared support for Lagos State Deputy Governor, Hamzat, to succeed as Governor in the 2027 elections has changed the dynamics.
Faleke made his position known via a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, urging party faithful and his supporters across Lagos to rally behind Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress, APC, prepares for its Primaries scheduled for May 2026.
He wrote: “Good evening all. As we prepare for Party primaries next month, I urge all our supporters in Ikeja Federal Constituency and Lagos State to support Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as the next Governor of Lagos State from 2027–2035 IJN. Amen!”.
It was gathered from sources within the Party, that some leaders are gravitating toward a consensus approach that could see Hamzat emerge as the party’s Governorship flagbearer in Lagos, quashing previous permutations from political observers.
Sources within the Party further disclosed that a meeting was held with President Tinubu during his visit to the State with key party figures from the South-West to fine-tune strategies and make crucial decisions ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Participants at the Lagos meeting reportedly engaged in extensive deliberations, focusing on party direction and the selection of candidates for key positions.
Those present included the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti; as well as the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zaccheaus Adedeji, among other prominent APC stakeholders.
The possibility of Hamzat as the APC Governorship candidate is rife with the disclosure of Faleke, who happens to be a close ally to President Tinubu.
Political observers say that Faleke has indirectly spoken the mind of President Tinubu on who becomes the APC Governorship Candidate in the State ahead of the 2027 Polls.
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