JUST IN: Tinubu endorses Hamzat for Lagos 2027 governorship race

President Bola Tinubu has endorsed Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State deputy governor as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

The endorsement, which took place in Abuja on Wednesday, follows the earlier adoption of Hamzat by the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos.

The council had unanimously backed him as its preferred candidate after a meeting at Lagos House, Marina.

Top party figures, including members of the GAC and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had met with Tinubu in Abuja to present Hamzat’s candidacy and seek his support.

Sanwo-Olu had earlier publicly endorsed his deputy as his preferred successor, describing him as competent and well-grounded in governance.

With Tinubu’s backing, the endorsements mark a consolidation of  political support around Hamzat ahead of the 2027 race.

Hamzat, an engineer and technocrat, has served as deputy governor since 2019, working closely with Sanwo-Olu on major policy initiatives.

His political trajectory within the Lagos APC has been closely tied to the party’s internal 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 members ahead of the election.

With endorsements from the state governor, the GAC and now the president, Hamzat’s candidacy appears to have gained significant momentum ahead of party primaries.