2027: Lagos needs continuity, preparedness, says APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos has continued to make a case for the candidacy of the state’s Deputy Governor, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with the party highlighting his experience in government and the private sector.

Lagos APC spokesman, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, argued that the choice before Lagos voters should include consideration of institutional memory, executive experience and familiarity with the state’s governance structure.

Hamzat was adopted by the Lagos APC’s Governance Advisory Council (GAC) as its consensus governorship candidate in April 2026. The decision was announced by the GAC chairman, Tajudeen Olusi, following a meeting of members of the advisory body.

Oladejo said Hamzat’s long involvement in Lagos governance placed him in a position to understand the state’s administrative machinery and the challenges associated with managing a complex metropolitan economy.

The APC spokesman also highlighted Hamzat’s experience outside government, including his work in technology and financial services before his entry into Lagos politics.

Hamzat joined the Lagos State Executive Council in 2005 as Commissioner for Science and Technology under then Governor Bola Tinubu. He later served as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under Governor Babatunde Fashola before becoming Deputy Governor in 2019.

He was re-elected deputy governor in 2023 alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

According to Oladejo, the combination of Hamzat’s engineering background, private-sector experience and years in public administration makes him a candidate with substantial knowledge of the state’s policy and implementation processes.

He argued that Lagos should not pursue change merely for the sake of introducing new political leadership, but should instead examine which existing policies and projects require continuity, modification or replacement.

“Continuity does not mean complacency,” Oladejo said, arguing that it should involve “retaining what works, correcting what does not, improving what can be improved and taking successful programmes to the next level.”

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He described development as a long-term process requiring institutional memory, suggesting that successive administrations should build on projects and policies inherited from their predecessors.

Oladejo also pointed to Hamzat’s previous unsuccessful bid for the APC governorship ticket in 2018, after which he became Sanwo-Olu’s running mate in the 2019 election and subsequently retained the position in 2023.

He presented the development as evidence of Hamzat’s political patience and continued involvement in public service.

The APC spokesman acknowledged that Lagos voters would ultimately assess the candidates, their records and their programmes before deciding who should govern the state from 2027.

He nevertheless challenged proponents of a change in political direction to explain which aspects of the existing Lagos development model they intended to replace and what alternative they were offering.

Oladejo maintained that the 2027 contest should therefore involve a debate over experience, institutional continuity, preparedness and competing visions for the future of Lagos.