Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has formally endorsed his deputy, Dr. Kadri Hamzat, as the APC’s governorship candidate for 2027, setting the succession race in motion in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
The endorsement, delivered with considerable ceremony at Lagos House, Marina, was witnessed by members of the state executive council, APC leaders, all local government chairmen, and local council development area chairmen.
Standing before the assembled party faithful, Sanwo-Olu was unequivocal in his praise for his second-in-command. The governor cited Hamzat’s “vast knowledge and experience” as the defining qualities that make him fit to inherit the mantle of leadership in Lagos, a state that, by virtue of its economic weight and political symbolism, remains the crown jewel of the APC’s strongholds nationwide.
For Sanwo-Olu, whose tenure has been defined by ambitious infrastructure projects, flood mitigation efforts, and the continuing transformation of Lagos into a megacity of global ambition, the endorsement represents the next logical chapter, ensuring that his legacy is carried forward by a trusted ally rather than dismantled by a rival.
The choice of Lagos House, Marina, the seat of executive authority in the state, was no accident. It was a deliberate signal to the party’s rank and file: the governor’s house is behind Hamzat, and those who harbor other ambitions would do well to recalibrate.
Long before Sunday’s endorsement became public, Hamzat had been methodically laying the groundwork for his gubernatorial ambition. The deputy governor has been conducting a quiet but purposeful tour of consultations with key party stakeholders, the kind of behind-the-scenes political legwork that separates serious contenders from mere aspirants.
The most significant of these consultations saw Hamzat travel to meet with Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, a meeting that underscores just how elevated the stakes are. In the architecture of Nigerian politics, few endorsements carry more weight in Lagos than that of a figure with direct access to the presidency.
The delegation that accompanied Hamzat to that meeting read like a who’s who of the Lagos political establishment: the Secretary of the Governors’ Advisory Council, Muti Are; Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon; Bode Oyedele; Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Adekunle Olayinka; and Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Hakeem Shittu, among others.
It was Senator Obanikoro who led the conversation, making the case directly to Gbajabiamila that Hamzat is “well-grounded in Lagos State politics” and requires the backing of the APC’s leadership structure to clinch the governorship race. The former lawmaker’s involvement is itself noteworthy. Obanikoro is a seasoned political operator whose alignment with a candidate has historically carried electoral consequences in Lagos.
In his own remarks, Hamzat struck the tone of a man who sees himself not merely as a replacement for Sanwo-Olu but as the custodian of a broader political project. He was emphatic that “Nigeria must not fail” and framed his ambition within the wider imperative of APC dominance at both state and federal levels.
Critically, Hamzat anchored his candidacy in the language of institutional continuity, arguing that the APC is “an organized party” whose leadership structure must be preserved and that the economic stability achieved under President Tinubu’s administration must not be disrupted by poor candidate selection in Lagos.
“We discussed the direction of our state and the work required to move it forward,” Hamzat wrote on his X account following the consultations. “It remains our shared responsibility to strengthen Lagos and continue delivering better outcomes for our people. I am focused and clear about the work ahead.”
The language was measured, almost presidential, the carefully chosen words of a man who understands that in Lagos politics the wrong statement can unravel months of careful positioning.
The early and open endorsement of Hamzat by Sanwo-Olu is a calculated political maneuver. Lagos, unlike many other Nigerian states, operates under a distinctive political architecture in which the APC’s internal consensus, shaped in large part by the party’s founding figures and the governor himself, carries more decisive weight than the general election. Whoever secures the APC ticket in Lagos, as history has shown time and again, is virtually assured of victory at the polls.
By endorsing Hamzat now, Sanwo-Olu is attempting to compress the window for rival candidates to coalesce, cutting off potential challenges before they gather momentum. The presence of all local government chairmen at the endorsement ceremony suggests the machinery of the party’s grassroots structure has already been mobilized in Hamzat’s favor.
Whether any challenger will emerge to contest the emerging consensus remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Lagos 2027 race, despite being nearly two years away, has, for all practical purposes, already begun. And as of today, Kadri Hamzat stands at the front of the field with the most powerful endorsement Lagos politics has to offer.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has formally endorsed his deputy, Kadri Hamzat, as the APC’s preferred governorship candidate for 2027, a move that, in Lagos politics, is tantamount to handing him the keys to Government House.
Backed by the full weight of the state executive council, all local government chairmen, and key party heavyweights, including allies of President Tinubu, Hamzat enters the race not as an aspirant but as the consensus candidate.
