Next Year: Hamzat Taps Obanikoro to Lead Re-Election Bid as Campaign Director-General

Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for 2027 and incumbent Lagos Deputy Governor, has appointed Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as the Director-General of his campaign team, a move seen as consolidating Hamzat's push for the APC ticket with strong support from President Bola Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and key elders of the Governance Advisory Council, led by Pa Tajudeen Olusi.

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Hamzat's campaign structure was formalized after he submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, May 29, 2026, an event attended by Obanikoro, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Femi Gbajabiamila, House of Representatives member, James Faleke, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and other APC leaders.

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Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence and Lagos Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in 2007, has been a key figure in Hamzat's pre-primary consultations team, attending almost every strategic meeting since April 13, and brings cross-party reach and grassroots machinery to the campaign.

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As a former PDP chieftain, ambassador, and two-time senator who defected to the APC in 2017, Obanikoro's presence signals Hamzat's attempt to unify old PDP structures, Justice Forum, and Mandate Group blocs, and he has told party leaders that Hamzat's pedigree ensures "Lagos will continue to soar".

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Obanikoro emphasized the importance of ensuring a resounding victory for the APC in the 2027 election, stating "The truth of the matter is that if Lagos fails, Nigeria will have problems and we must not fail", and "We must ensure that what happened in 2023 should not happen again in 2027".

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Obanikoro had accompanied Hamzat to visit GAC leader Olusi, Gbajabiamila, Obasa, and Ikorodu division elders, including ex-Deputy Governor Prince Abiodun Ogunleye and ex-Minister Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and was also present when Hamzat received the royal blessing of Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, who described Hamzat as the "best man for the job" in Lagos.

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At Gbajabiamila's residence, Obanikoro formally introduced the campaign's scope, stating "I can confidently tell the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu that the level of endorsement has been overwhelming", and solicited Gbajabiamila's support for Hamzat as a "seasoned politician well grounded in Lagos politics".

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Gbajabiamila responded by telling Hamzat, "Dr. Hamzat, you're a man of honour… I am saying it publicly that you can take me for granted because I have confidence in your ability and capacity", and pledged his support, saying "My constituency, Surulere, is for you and Lagos is for you".

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Similarly, at Obasa's residence, Obanikoro declared, "Any sincere mind that can interrogate the pedigree of Hamzat will know that Lagos is in good hands", and Obasa affirmed, "Hamzat is APC candidate, next Lagos governor", saying "I had discussions with those that matter, but the conclusion is that Hamzat will carry the banner of the party".

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APC Lagos Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, also expressed his support, stating "We support you, we trust you, and we are very confident of your competency and humility", while the Lagos Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress also endorsed Hamzat during the May Day rally.

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Hamzat's team has engaged in consultations with media executives, selling his programmes and agenda for the people of the State, and his campaign team includes GAC Secretary Mutiu Are, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Bode Oyedele, Dr. Adekunle Olayinka, and Hakeem Shittu.

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After his declaration as APC Governorship flagbearer, Hamzat expressed appreciation to his principal, Governor Sanwo-Olu, for his contributions to the development of the State and the party, and said "I extend my greetings to Senators and members of the House of Representatives, all members of Governance Advisory Council, GAC".

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Hamzat also thanked God, the APC, and President Bola Tinubu, and accepted the candidacy of the APC in the upcoming elections in 2027, saying "You will not regret the confidence repose in me and my capacity", and emphasized the importance of his emergence as the next Lagos governor.

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The prospect of Hamzat emerging as the next Lagos governor is considered fortuitous, given the formidable President Bola Tinubu machine, and the fact that securing the APC ticket offers a guaranteed path to electoral victory in the general elections in Lagos, a state with an estimated 25 million people and a strategic leverage that needs no further elaboration.

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Hamzat, at 61, heading to hit 62, represents a political technocrat with intellectual weight and administrative precision, a patient strategist in a space where ambition often roars, and his journey has been characterized by discipline and systemic quiet work.

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Hamzat has twice suspended his own gubernatorial aspirations, allowing others to ascend, in what analysts describe as a deliberate stoop to conquer, and his ambition is considered payback time based on the crucial role of his father in the early political trajectory of President Tinubu.

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Hamzat's late father, Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, was a force in Lagos politics, a legislator, Commissioner for Transportation, party leader, and monarch in Ogun State, and his influence cut across governance and tradition, supporting the emergence of Tinubu's senatorial ambition.

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Originally headhunted from Morgan Stanley by then Governor Tinubu in 2004, Hamzat's first meeting with "Jagaban" was dramatic, and upon introducing himself, Tinubu asked, "Which Hamzat are you", and persuaded him to return home and lend his talent to help rebuild Lagos.

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Upon arrival at Alausa, Hamzat imprinted his signature of excellence on Lagos' financial architecture, overseeing the development and application of the Oracle system that revolutionized the government's financial records.

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In Lagos, legacy does not guarantee power, but it opens doors that others may never find, and Hamzat is not a stranger to governance, with over 21 years of consistent, high-level public service across ministries, advisory roles, and executive leadership within Lagos and beyond.

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Hamzat's academic pedigree is formidable, culminating in a doctorate earned from top universities abroad and at home, and he possesses the requisite skill-set to make the right choices if given the opportunity to succeed Sanwo-Olu in 2027, despite the major challenge of waste management that has continued to defy solutions.