By JKNewsMedia
PRESIDENT BOLA Tinubu has endorsed Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election, reinforcing a fast-forming political alignment within the state’s ruling structure.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the endorsement in Abuja on Wednesday followed the earlier adoption of Hamzat by the Governance Advisory Council (GCA), 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.
GAC leaders, Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu and other top Lagos politicians met with Tinubu in Abuja to present Hamzat’s candidacy and seek his backing.
The council’s decision 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 backing 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 mirrors the traditional consensus building model within Lagos APC politics, where alignment among party leaders often determines candidacies.
The GAC endorsement was widely seen as decisive, given the body’s historical 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 key policy initiatives.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that his political rise has been closely tied 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 precedent 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 signals of mobilisation for the next general election cycle, with Tinubu already initiating moves towards a second term bid.
With backing from the state governor, the GAC and the president, Hamzat’s candidacy appears to have gained momentum ahead of party primaries.
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