Nine months before the 2027 Lagos governorship election, political jostling has intensified within the All Progressives Congress, APC. President Bola Tinubu is reported to have directed the Governor's Advisory Council, GAC, led by Pa Tajudeen Olusi, to support Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as the party's candidate. Hamzat, who served as Commissioner for Works under Governor Babatunde Fashola and is currently in his second term as deputy to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stepped down for Sanwo-Olu during the 2018 APC primary. The APC Lagos chapter, however, insists no aspirant has been anointed, despite growing speculation following Tinubu's Easter visit to Lagos. On March 6, the party inaugurated new executives across local councils and wards, with Chairman Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi urging unity. The South-West APC zonal convention was held on March 25 at Mobolaji Johnson Arena.
Supporters of former governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Hamzat both claim endorsement after a GAC meeting with Tinubu. James Faleke, a key party figure, publicly backed Hamzat via a Facebook post. Other names initially linked to the race, including Seyi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Tunji Alausa, and Hakeem Muri-Okunola, have reportedly stepped aside. Meanwhile, the Badagry Ló Kàn movement, representing traditional rulers and youth groups in Badagry Division, is demanding the 2027 ticket, noting that Badagry has not produced a Lagos governor since the state's creation in 1967.
The notion that Tinubu has endorsed Obafemi Hamzat exposes the mechanics of political loyalty as currency in Lagos's ruling class. Hamzat's 2018 withdrawal for Sanwo-Olu is now framed by allies as a debt owed, suggesting that succession politics in the APC hinges less on popular mandate and more on internal reckonings among power brokers.
This narrative thrives in a system where party structures are shaped by personal allegiance rather than institutional process. The fact that both Hamzat and Ambode supporters claim momentum after the same GAC meeting reveals how ambiguity is wielded as a tool of control. With no official anointment, the presidency's silence becomes as strategic as any spoken word, allowing factions to rally without formal accountability.
For civil servants, party members, and grassroots supporters in Lagos, the real stakes lie in which faction gains access to power and patronage. Those aligned with Hamzat may feel emboldened, while Ambode's base could regroup under claims of marginalisation. The longer the uncertainty persists, the more local party dynamics will be driven by speculation rather than policy.
The Badagry demand adds a structural tension to the equation. With five traditional divisions and only one—Badagry—never to have produced a governor, zoning becomes more than symbolism. It raises the question of whether loyalty to individuals will continue to override broader claims of equity and rotation.
