2027: Lagosians unite for Tinubu as Lawmaker declares bid

Thousands of residents and political stakeholders in Eti-Osa, Lagos State, at the weekend declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Noheem Adams, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The political gathering drew leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across Eti-Osa Constituency I, including the Central Working Committee of the party led by Governance Advisory Council (GAC) member, Engr. Murphy Adetoro.

Also present were chairmen of the three local government areas within the constituency, APC ward leaders, traditional rulers and members of the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA), many of whom reaffirmed their endorsement of Adams as the party’s consensus candidate for the Assembly seat.

At the rally, party leaders declared there was “no vacancy” in the Presidency and the Lagos State House of Assembly seat currently occupied by Adams.

The stakeholders also openly backed Hamzat as the preferred successor to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The APC leaders insisted that unlike the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in Lagos, the party would deliver overwhelming victory for Tinubu in the state in 2027.

Speaking at the event, Adetoro said the endorsement of Adams had already received the backing of APC structures across Eti-Osa, including local government chairmen and party executives.

“What we are witnessing today is a rehearsal for the primary election,” he said.

“We are publicly declaring our support for President Tinubu whose achievements continue to speak for themselves. We are also mobilising for the emergence of Engr. Obafemi Hamzat as the next governor of Lagos State.”

According to him, the APC leadership in Eti-Osa had formally communicated its endorsement of Adams to the party hierarchy in Lagos.

He described the lawmaker as a tested representative whose performance at the Assembly had exceeded expectations.

Former lawmaker and APC leader, Yahaya Dosunmu, also praised the level of support witnessed at the gathering, describing it as unprecedented.

He expressed optimism that Eti-Osa could produce the next Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly if Adams secures re-election.

“I have attended political campaigns for decades, but the turnout and support here show clearly that the people are solidly behind Noheem Adams,” he said.

President of the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA), Alhaji Sulyman Bello, said Adams had become a rallying point for residents across Eti-Osa due to his interventions on issues affecting communities.

Bello recalled how the lawmaker allegedly intervened to stop the demolition of a residential estate within the constituency, earning him widespread support among residents.

“With his current experience and position in the House, sending a fresh lawmaker there would not be in the interest of the constituency,” he said.

He added that residents were looking beyond Adams’ current role as Majority Leader and believed he was capable of occupying higher leadership positions in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Arewa community in the constituency disclosed that over 1,500 members from the three councils in Eti-Osa had been mobilised in support of the lawmaker.

Responding to the endorsements, Adams thanked party leaders, traditional rulers and residents for their confidence in him, describing the support as both encouraging and challenging.

He pledged to intensify efforts towards delivering more dividends of democracy to the constituency if re-elected.

The lawmaker also commended Tinubu for the ongoing coastal road project, which he said had significantly opened up the constituency and increased public support for the President within the area.