.Clears consensus aspirant for primary
.As Oshodi-Isolo APC raises alarm over Aregbesola’s infiltration

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat’s governorship ambition has received a significant boost with various stakeholders, including the leadership of the State Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and its counterpart, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, expressing their support for his candidacy in the 2027 poll in Lagos.

This comes as aspirants have begun to jostle for the position of Hamzat’s running mate in the 2027 governorship poll, with APC leadership weighing options.

Meanwhile, ahead of the primaries, the APC concerned group in Oshodi-Isolo Constituency has raised the alarm over moves by the expelled, now opposition chieftain, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to sponsor a candidate in the area for the House of Representatives slot against popular wishes.

Mobilisation for Hamzat followed earlier endorsements, including President Bola Tinubu, the Governance Advisory Council, GAC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, with another APC aspirant, Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor, withdrawal from the race to support the consensus candidate, and former Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, congratulatory message on his emergence as the party’s consensus candidate.

APC state Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, and other party chieftains had since endorsed his bid, while a couple of agencies, such as “Waste Managers”, the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) declared their support for Hamzat.

Recall that Hamzat had earlier picked the nomination form, which was purchased by the leadership of GAC, the highest decision-making organ of the APC in the State, following earlier endorsement by the council, led by Prince Tajudeen Olusi.

Also, leaders and members of the APC, in Lagos State, endorsed the nomination form ahead of the governorship primary for the 2027 governorship elections.

The nomination form was subsequently signed by 120 bona fide leaders and members of the ruling APC across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDA, of the State in line with guidelines.

Meanwhile, during the 2026 World Labour Day celebration, themed: “Insecurity, Poverty: Bane of Decent Work,” held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos Island, the union leaders expressed confidence in the candidacy of Hamzat and promised to support his ambition massively in ensuring total victory at the polls.

The State councils of the NLC and TUC had, in January 2023, in a similar fashion endorsed the Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat ticket for their second term.

According to NLC Chairperson, Lagos Council, Comrade Funmi Sessi, on behalf of the sister union, “Hamzat is loyal, competent, tested and trusted. His victory will ensure that continued developmental strides have been achieved by successive administrations in the State, particularly, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.”

Representing Mr. Governor on the occasion, Hamzat, who took time to go round the stadium amid cheers from an elated crowd, acknowledged the confidence reposed in him and expressed appreciation for the support, pledging to continue developing Lagos State with integrity.

“We will not let you down..The developmental trajectory will be improved upon in Lagos.”

Instructively, speaking after Tinubu’s endorsement with GAC, Hamzat stated: “These are fathers, they are leaders, they’ve seen a lot of Christmases, they’ve seen a lot of Eid El Kabir, so they have experience, and therefore I’m really, really excited that they brought me here to meet Mr. President, and Mr. President has blessed us and blessed the decision of GAC.”

While describing his governorship ambition as “audacious”, Hamzat expressed confidence that his experience as Deputy Governor has prepared him for the task ahead.

He continued: “Nobody is ready because the assignment is audacious. But what you have is experience. Having served as Deputy Governor of Lagos under Governor Sanwo-Olu, I’ve learned a lot. I know the room. I know where the kitchen is.

“You know, if you want to cook for people and you don’t know the kitchen, it doesn’t matter how good a chef you are; you must know the kitchen.

“So, with God’s blessings and the support of all my fathers here, I really don’t have any fear,” he added.

Screening committee clears Hamzat for primary

To further boost his bid, Hamzat, yesterday, successfully appeared before the APC Governorship Screening Committee in Abuja and received a clean bill of approval to participate in the party’s forthcoming governorship primary election ahead of the 2027 Lagos poll.

Hamzat, who spoke after the screening process, expressed satisfaction with the screening exercise, describing the process as thorough, transparent, and in line with the democratic ideals of the party.

“The screening was designed to verify the credentials, records, and experiences submitted by aspirants seeking to fly the APC flag.

“The essence of the screening is to ensure that everything submitted is accurate and verifiable. We submitted all required documents, and the committee asked questions based on the information provided.

“It is basically to confirm that what you wrote is truly reflective of your experience and service,” he said.

The deputy governor stated that the committee carefully reviewed all submitted documents and sought clarifications on areas relating to his public service record and professional experience.

He further explained that members of the committee asked for clarification on some areas and wanted more insight into the roles he had played in government over the years.

Hazmat, therefore, expressed confidence in the APC primary process and reaffirmed his commitment to the continued growth, development, and prosperity of Lagos State.

“I am very comfortable with my party and confident in the democratic process. Ultimately, the decision rests with party members and the people. Our responsibility is to continue offering our best in service to the state and the country,” he said.

The deputy governor reiterated his belief in the capacity of Lagos State to continue leading as a model of innovation, governance, and development in Nigeria, stressing that leadership must remain focused on delivering meaningful impact to citizens.

APC shops for running mate

Hamzat, after emerging as the consensus candidate, the APC leadership is at a crossroads over who would be the running mate. It was gathered that the initial choice for the post has been vehemently rejected following protests by stakeholders.

APC leadership had initially pencilled down Barrister ‘Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the present Secretary to the State Government, SSG, representing Badagry division.

Stakeholders in Badagry have expressed their rejection of the SSG, based on incompetence despite being an SSG.

The development has thrown the party to weigh other options as a replacement.

Salu- Hundeyin has been prominent in policy implementation, community engagement, and ensuring the coordination of state developmental projects.

As the SSG, Salu-Hundeyin represents the Governor and plays a critical role in administration, including engaging with local council secretaries to ensure smooth governance and palliative distribution.

She has been active in public affairs, including addressing safety stakeholders and participating in regional meetings focused on economic growth, such as the southwest regional discussions in April 2025.

Salu-Hundeyin was first appointed in June 2023, bringing experience as a former Federal Commissioner at the National Population Commission (NPC).

The SSG is part of the executive team driving the 2025 Budget of N3.366 trillion, which focuses on infrastructure and economic development.

Aregbesola’s infiltration

APC concerned group in Oshodi-Isolo Constituency has raised the alarm over moves by the expelled, now opposition chieftain, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to sponsor a candidate in the area for the House of Representatives slot against popular wishes.

They described the move as an attempt to plant a mole and cause mayhem in the peaceful constituency, calling on President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate investigation into the development.

According to a chieftain in the area, who preferred anonymity, “You don’t go to sleep while your roof is burning. This is an adage popular among the Yoruba of the Southwest.

“But Chairman, APC Lagos State, Ojelabi, a pastor and politician, seems to have forgotten this adage,” the concerned group stated.

The alarm has become expedient following the discovery that an African Democratic Congress, ADC, General Secretary and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has infiltrated the party.

“Knowing that his party is not popular in Lagos State, he has therefore designed a strategy of infiltration to sponsor some APC candidates who will decamp once his phantom wish of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku as president comes true.

“Aregbesola believes Northerners and some disgruntled Southerners will vote for Atiku, and his candidates will switch parties.”

It was gathered that Ganiyu Johnson, his former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Works and his nominee for Commissioner for Works during Governor Babatunde Fashola’s tenure, is one of his point men.

Johnson, expected to celebrate his 75th birthday in 2027, was the member representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II at the House of Representatives between 2019 and 2023.

At the 2023 elections, he lost to Joe Okey of the Labour Party by a whopping 52,000 votes. That catastrophic outing forced him into early retirement, and he resolved to spend more time with his family.

However, the intervention of Aregbesola, who has decided to plant his cronies in APC as part of Atiku’s presidential agenda, has brought Johnson back to politics.

It was gathered that Johnson has indicated interest in running for the House of Representatives contest.

The group, therefore, while suspecting an impending crisis in the area, wondered if Ojelabi and executive council members would allow this to scale through, as it could spell doom for the APC’s chances at the general polls.

Hamzat’s strategic solemn rise to succeed Sanwo-Olu

It is no longer a speculation on who is likely to succeed incumbent Sanwo-Olu in Lagos following defining endorsements by the stakeholders. Within the powerful inner circle of the GAC, the custodians of continuity and arbiters of succession, the consensus decision has been firmly sealed on Hamzat. What once lived in the realm of conjecture has now crystallised into a certainty.

Barring any unforeseen, the standard-bearer of the APC in Lagos State has emerged in Hamzat, a man whose journey to this moment has been characterised not by noise but by discipline, a dint of systemic quiet work.

The path is clear. The momentum is real. The moment is his. At 61, heading to hit 62, Dr. Hamzat represents a political technocrat with intellectual weight and administrative precision, a patient strategist in a space where ambition often roars.

Hamzat, twice, at various crossroads, suspended his own gubernatorial aspirations, allowing others to ascend in what analysts best described as a deliberate stoop to conquer, an understanding that in Lagos, timing is everything, and loyalty is never forgotten.

The aspirant’s ambition is also considered as payback time based on the crucial role of his father in the early political trajectory of President Bola Tinubu. Hamzat’s late father, Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, was not merely a participant in Lagos politics; he was a force within it.

Legislator, Commissioner for Transportation, party leader, and ultimately a monarch in Ogun State from maternal lineage, Oba Hamzat’s influence cut across governance and tradition.

He was crucial among the early pillars that supported the emergence of Bola Tinubu’s senatorial ambition, a feat that still reverberates within the APC’s current power architecture.

In Lagos, it is believed that legacy does not guarantee power, but it opens doors that others may never even find.

Hamzat has been outstanding in loyalty, experience, and preparedness, which counts very much for the office of the exalted number one seat in the State.

He is not a stranger to governance; he is a product of it. From his days as commissioner under the Tinubu administration, through his strategic proximity to Babatunde Fashola, both in Lagos and at the federal level, to his current role alongside Sanwo-Olu, his journey reflects over two decades of consistent, high-level public service.

With more than 21 years in governance, across ministries, advisory roles, and executive leadership within Lagos and beyond it.

Few contenders can match that depth. Fewer still can rival its continuity. Add to this his formidable academic pedigree, culminating in a doctorate earned, not bestowed, from a top university abroad and at home, and the portrait becomes unmistakable. Politics is not only about competence, but also about alignment and popular validation.

On zoning alone, Hamzat stands on firm ground. As a son of Lagos West, the most populous senatorial district, his candidacy satisfies longstanding expectations of rotational balance.

On religion also, he aligns with growing calls within the Muslim community for equitable representation at the highest level of state leadership.

Hamzat is, by every measurable standard, the best man for the job. The structure is receptive, the narrative is compelling.

For political watchers and analysts, Lagos remains what it has always been, a place where certainty is powerful, but never absolute.

As of press time, there has not been any formidable opponent from opposition parties, which seem passive and undecided at the moment on flag-bearers, even as the window to present candidates for positions in line with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, draws near.