Tinubu endorses Hamzat for 2027 Lagos governorship bid

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has endorsed Obafemi Hamzat as the preferred candidate for the 2027 Lagos State governorship, signalling a major political alignment within the state’s ruling party ahead of the next election cycle.

The endorsement was made during a meeting with members of the Governance Advisory Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, according to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.

Mr Onanuga disclosed that the president formally backed Mr Hamzat as the consensus candidate of the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress, in a gathering attended by party elders led by Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The development follows an earlier endorsement by Mr Sanwo-Olu, who described his deputy as capable and well-prepared to lead the state. The governor pointed to Mr Hamzat’s experience in governance and familiarity with the workings of the administration as key strengths.

Highlighting their working relationship, Mr Sanwo-Olu also credited President Tinubu for providing the leadership foundation that has shaped the state’s governance structure over the years.

Mr Tinubu’s backing is expected to consolidate internal party support for Mr Hamzat and reduce uncertainty ahead of the 2027 race, where succession politics in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, often play a decisive role in broader national political dynamics.

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With endorsements from both the sitting governor and the president, Mr Hamzat’s candidacy now appears to be gaining significant momentum within the APC, setting the stage for what could become a largely coordinated transition within the state’s political leadership.