By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Barely  nine  months  to  the governorship election, the race for the successor of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has begun to take shape as aspirants emerge across party lines.

As President Bola Tinubu’s home base, the riveting attention is on who will get his backing among prospective candidates to succeed Sanwo-Olu. Tinubu, as the undisputed leader of the Lagos political family,   must have a say in who governs the state that he administered during his tenure from 1999 to 2007.    As suspense is deepening over who will emerge as the next governor, Tinubu, it was gathered recently, directed the leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, particularly the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, led by Pa Tajudeen Olusi, to work for the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, to succeed Sanwo-Olu in 2027. 

Meanwhile, leading the governorship contenders’ pack under the  APC  platform are Hamzat,  Akinwunmi Ambode, a former Lagos governor who spent just one term in office between 2015 and 2019, the Lead Visioner of the Lagos4Lagos Movement and former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Lagos State, Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor, and Seyi Tinubu, the son of  Mr.  President,”

Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to Tinubu, Mr Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, and Hakeem Muri-Okunola, a former Head of Service and currently Principal Secretary to the president, said to be interested in the governorship race, have apparently dropped out.

On March 25, APC South-West Zonal Convention, held at at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as Onikan Stadium, produced officers, setting the pace towards the preparations for the 2027 general polls.

Earlier, on March 6,  the Lagos State chapter  of APC sworn-in newly elected executive committee members across its local government and ward structures.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, held at the party Secretariat, Acme, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, the Chairman,  Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, urged the executives to demonstrate diligence and commitment to the ideals of the party.

He called on members to be united and shun divisive tendencies ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing that the inauguration marked a critical step in strengthening the party’s organisational framework ahead of future electoral engagements.

APC Lagos chapter subsequently declared that no aspirant had been anointed ahead of the 2027 general elections. The declaration came amid heightened political intrigue following the arrival of Tinubu in Lagos for the Easter holidays, a visit widely seen within political circles as a decisive moment in shaping the succession battle to succeed Sanwo-Olu.

For weeks, speculation was rife that Tinubu could use the visit to signal his preferred choice of next governor of the state. Party insiders and observers alike believed that any subtle endorsement from the President could instantly tilt the balance in what is shaping up to be a high-stakes contest.

Following   the Tinubu’s alleged  endorsement of Hamzat, the public, particularly workers within the Alausa Secretariat, received the development with great excitement and expectation.

It was also gathered that most aspirants touted for the governorship race have silently withdrawn their interest and collapsed their support structures for the alleged consensus candidate.

Party chieftains and loyalists supporting Hamzat for the job described the choice as a pay back time for loyalty, resilience.  

Hamzat had, in the build-up to the 2018 gubernatorial primary, stepped down for Sanwo-Olu   as  the consensus candidate of the APC.

GAC meets Tinubu, as Faleke rallies support for Hamzat

Supporters of Hamzat and Ambode, in the meantime, are laying claim to political endorsement following a high-level meeting between the GAC and Tinubu.

Both camps interpreted the outcome of the meeting as favourable to them, sparking parallel celebrations among the supporters.

Amid the speculation,   James Faleke, the lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, has publicly thrown his weight behind Hamzat, urging supporters across Ikeja Federal Constituency and Lagos State to rally behind Hamzat ahead of the party primaries.

In a Facebook post, on Thursday, Faleke urged party loyalists to back the Deputy Governor in his bid to succeed Sanwo-Olu. Ambode and Hamzat are widely seen as the leading contenders for the APC governorship ticket as preparations intensify for the next general elections.

Ambode, who governed Lagos from 2015 to 2019, was denied a second term, paving the way for Sanwo-Olu’s emergence. Hamzat is currently serving his second term as Deputy Governor after eight years as Commissioner for Works under then – Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Badagry groups kick

Meanwhile, stakeholders, traditional rulers, and youth groups in the Badagry Division of   the state have intensified calls for APC to zone the 2027 governorship ticket to their area, asserting that it is their turn to produce the state’s next governor.  

Under the ‘Badagry Ló Kàn’ (It’s Badagry’s Turn), the movement argues that since the creation of Lagos State in 1967, Badagry is the only one of the state’s five traditional divisions (Ikeja, Ikorodu, Epe, Lagos Island, and Badagry) that has not produced a governor.

Proponents described the demand as a matter of justice, fairness, and inclusion rather than confrontation.

However, the groups, including the ‘Concerned People of Badagry Forum,’ highlight their consistent electoral support for the APC and Tinubu, arguing that this loyalty deserves recognition.

A 93-year-old elder statesman, Pa Andu Liadi Adio, and traditional rulers led by the Aholu of Kweme Kingdom, Oba Olalekan Sejiro, had formally requested that the party leadership, especially Tinubu, consider a candidate from their axis.  

Dr. Samuel Mawuyon Ajose, popularly called SMA Gold, is being championed by various groups in the division to lead the state.

The Badagry Federation Youth and Women groups pledged to mobilize massive votes for the APC if the seat is zoned to them.

As development unfolds,  political watchers believe   the real contest ultimately depends   on the signals from Tinubu.