BREAKING: TINUBU ENDORSES HAMZAT AS LAGOS APC CONSENSUS CANDIDATE FOR 2027 GOVERNORSHIP
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
President Bola Tinubu has endorsed Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election, further strengthening a fast-forming political alignment within the state’s ruling structure.
The endorsement, which took place in Abuja on Wednesday, followed the earlier adoption of Hamzat by the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos, which unanimously backed him as its preferred candidate after a meeting at Lagos House, Marina.
Top GAC figures, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other key Lagos politicians had met with Tinubu in Abuja to present Hamzat’s candidacy and seek his approval.
The GAC’s move came after a public declaration by Sanwo-Olu, who endorsed his deputy as successor, describing him as competent and deeply familiar with the workings of government.
With Tinubu now throwing his weight behind the consensus arrangement, the endorsements signal a consolidation of elite political support around Hamzat ahead of the 2027 race.
Political observers say the sequence of endorsements from Sanwo-Olu to the GAC and now the president reflects the traditional consensus-building model within Lagos APC politics, where alignment among party leaders often determines candidacies.
The GAC endorsement itself was widely seen as decisive, given the body’s longstanding influence in shaping electoral outcomes in the state.
Hamzat, an engineer and technocrat, has served as deputy governor since 2019, working closely with Sanwo-Olu on major policy initiatives. His political rise has been closely linked to the Lagos APC structure.
In 2018, he stepped down from the governorship race and later emerged as Sanwo-Olu’s running mate — a move that helped unify party ranks ahead of the election.
That development reflects a long-standing pattern of negotiated consensus within the party, now resurfacing in the build-up to 2027.
The endorsement also comes amid early signs of mobilisation for the next general election cycle, with Tinubu already making moves towards a second-term bid.
With the backing of the state governor, the GAC and now the president, Hamzat’s candidacy appears to have gained significant momentum months ahead of party primaries.
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