Samuel Ajose withdraws from Lagos governorship race, backs Hamzat

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Samuel Ajose, has announced his withdrawal from the Lagos State governorship race, declaring support for the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, ahead of the next governorship election.

Ajose announced this on Tuesday while addressing his supporters in Lagos, saying the decision was taken after careful reflection and in the interest of unity and collective progress.

According to him, although the decision placed him in a difficult position, he found peace after weighing what would benefit everyone involved.

“I know it is a very tough decision. I still struggled with it overnight, too. But when I woke up in the morning, I had my peace,” he said.

He added that his priority remained the overall interest of the people and ensuring that no group was left behind in the political process.

“Everything that everybody will benefit from, even if I won’t be the governor, you are still going to benefit because you have made sure that you took care of the interests of everybody. And I think that’s the best,” Ajose stated.

Announcing his decision to step aside, Ajose said he would now support Hamzat and participate actively in the campaign structure.

“In the interest of the party, I, Dr Samuel Mawuyon Ajose, have decided that I will let go. I will support Dr. Hamzat, and we are going to be part of his campaign, and we are going to take a very important position in his campaign,” he added.

Ajose’s withdrawal comes weeks after former Lagos governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, also stepped down from the governorship race and endorsed Hamzat.

Jandor said his withdrawal followed the endorsement of Hamzat by President Bola Tinubu and APC leaders in Lagos State.

“Following the endorsement of Dr. Kadiri Hamzat by our Leader, the President of Nigeria, and Leaders of our party in Lagos, and in recognition of the prevailing realities within the political landscape of our great party, I have decided to withdraw from the 2027 Lagos State gubernatorial race,” Jandor had said.

The former PDP governorship candidate described the decision as a sacrifice made for party cohesion and unity, while pledging loyalty to the APC leadership structure.