Tinubu endorses Hamzat for Lagos 2027 Governorship race

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu has endorsed Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election, reinforcing a fast-forming political alignment within the state’s ruling structure.

The endorsement in Abuja on Wednesday, follows the earlier adoption of Hamzat by the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos, which unanimously backed him as its preferred candidate after a meeting in Lagos House, Marina.

GAC leaders, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other top Lagos politicians had met with Tinubu in Abuja to sell the candidacy of Hamzat and to seek his blessings.

Earlier, the GAC’s endorsement came on the heels of a public declaration by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who endorsed his deputy as successor, describing him as competent and deeply familiar with the workings of government.

With Tinubu now lending his weight behind the consensus arrangement, the endorsements signal a consolidation of elite political support around Hamzat ahead of the 2027 race.

Political observers say the sequence of endorsements from Sanwo-Olu to the GAC and now the president mirrors the traditional consensus-building model within Lagos APC politics, where alignment among party leaders often determines candidacies.

The GAC endorsement itself was widely seen as decisive, given the body’s historical influence in shaping electoral outcomes in the state.

Hamzat, an engineer and technocrat, has served as deputy governor since 2019, working closely with Sanwo-Olu on key policy initiatives.

His political rise has been closely tied to the Lagos APC structure. In 2018, he stepped down from the governorship race and later emerged as Sanwo-Olu’s running mate — a move that helped unify party ranks ahead of the election.

That precedent reflects a long-standing pattern of negotiated consensus within the party, now resurfacing in the build-up to 2027.

The endorsement also comes amid early signals of mobilisation for the next general election cycle, with Tinubu already initiating moves towards a second-term bid.

With backing from the state governor, the GAC and now the president, Hamzat’s candidacy appears to have gained significant momentum months ahead of party primaries.