Ambode backs Hamzat after Tinubu’s endorsement as Lagos APC succession race intensifies

Former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has endorsed Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election, reinforcing a succession push already backed by President Bola Tinubu.

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Mr Ambode announced his support in a statement on Thursday, a day after Mr Tinubu publicly endorsed Mr Hamzat during a meeting with party leaders in Lagos.

“I join my fellow members of the All Progressives Congress to congratulate my brother and friend, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, on his emergence as the Consensus Governorship Candidate of our great party, the APC,” Mr Ambode said.

“Your deliberate and purposeful consultations with the Party hierarchy and all members of the Party have demonstrated you are a true Party man committed to the Party’s ideals and values of Unity and Progress.”

Mr Ambode added that Mr Hamzat’s adoption reflects “loyalty, hardwork and dedication to the party for over two decades,” expressing confidence that Lagos would benefit from his “wealth of experience and skills in governance.”

The former governor also reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid, linking the state’s future to the president’s leadership.

“I strongly believe that the greater prosperity of Lagos and indeed Nigeria is firmly tied to the continued governance of Mr President,” he stated.

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Mr Ambode’s remarks rest speculations about his plan to stage a comeback in 2027, after losing his reelection bid to incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2019.

Mr Ambode, who lost the APC ticket to Governor Sanwo-Olu in the 2019 election cycle, had been named among those jostling for the governorship ticket until a flood of endorsements settled the race in favour of Mr Hamzat as the party’s preferred candidate.

Tinubu’s endorsement

President Tinubu’s endorsement was disclosed on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the president backed Mr Hamzat during a meeting with members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), led by Tajudeen Olusi, alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The development followed an earlier public endorsement of Mr Hamzat by Governor Sanwo-Olu, further consolidating his standing within the ruling party.

In a separate post on X, Mr Hamzat described the endorsement as a vote of confidence.

“I am indeed very grateful for the vote of confidence and endorsement. I am fully aware of the responsibility it carries. I am enthusiastic and looking forward to continuing on the good work and the foundation the President has laid in Lagos State.

“Lagos State is an ongoing project because we are the yardstick for development and progress. There is still a lot of work ahead, we have an election to win and a legacy to protect. I therefore remain focused on the journey ahead,” he wrote.

Contestation despite endorsements

Despite the wave of endorsements, a former governorship candidate, Olajide Adediran, obtained the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms, signalling his intention to contest.

Mr Adediran, who ran on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform in 2023 before defecting to the APC, has repeatedly called for a competitive primary.

“We note the ongoing speculations alleging that a preferred aspirant has been anointed; we restate that no aspirant has been anointed and that all aspirants will participate in a credible primary election,” he said in a recent statement.

Party sources also cautioned against assuming that the endorsements amount to a final decision.

“The reported endorsement of Hamzat as the preferred consensus candidate is still a rumour… the party has made it clear that the race is still open for contest,” a party leader said.

Background and permutations

In Lagos APC, candidates often emerge either through consensus arrangements driven by party leaders—particularly the GAC—or through formal primaries.

However, endorsements by influential figures have historically shaped outcomes.

Mr Hamzat had previously sought the party’s governorship ticket. He lost the 2015 primary to Mr Ambode and stepped down for Mr Sanwo-Olu in 2018, who later won the election.

Other figures mentioned in connection with the race include Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa, and Mr Ambode himself, whose possible return has been championed by supporters.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Jandor withdraws from Lagos APC governorship race amid Hamzat’s growing endorsements

A group, the Ambode Comeback Crusaders, recently urged the party to consider the former governor for a second term, citing his record in infrastructure, transportation and healthcare.

Mr Ambode, who governed Lagos from 2015 to 2019, was denied a second-term ticket after losing the APC primary to Mr Sanwo-Olu.

With the primary season approaching, political alignments within the Lagos APC are intensifying, setting the stage for what could be a defining contest over the state’s leadership ahead of 2027.