Top Lagos lawmaker aims for another term in office

Noheem Adams, Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, formally announced his bid for re-election in 2027 on Saturday, unveiling a campaign centered on continuity, infrastructural expansion, and support for President Bola Tinubu’s leadership in Lagos.

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Adams' declaration, held along the Coastal Road corridor in Victoria Island, drew a large crowd of party loyalists, traditional rulers, and residents, who gathered beneath canopies adorned with All Progressives Congress colours, as the Eti-Osa Constituency I was transformed into a sea of blue, red, and green.

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Supporters waved banners endorsing Adams as the constituency's consensus candidate, as chants of solidarity echoed across the venue, marking a significant show of support for the lawmaker.

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The event quickly evolved into a broader political demonstration, fusing local development narratives with early positioning for the 2027 general elections, with Adams and President Bola Tinubu at the center of the gathering.

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Party leaders, including Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, whom leaders have projected as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's successor, were also endorsed by the crowd, as the APC's power brokers within Eti-Osa rallied behind Adams.

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The full weight of APC power brokers was on display, including the party's Central Working Committee led by Murphy Adetoro, members of the Governance Advisory Council, ward chairmen, local government chairmen, former lawmakers, community leaders, and the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association.

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In speech after speech, speakers framed Adams as a lawmaker whose political value extended beyond Eti-Osa itself, with his renewed ambition driven by overwhelming pressure from constituents and party structures.

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Addressing the gathering, Adams explained that he had been called upon by working community leaders to account for his time in the House of Assembly, and he highlighted the numerous projects he had facilitated through Eti-Osa Constituency I.

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Adams argued that the constituency had become a direct beneficiary of both federal and state power due to its strategic political significance, citing the construction of a coastal road by President Tinubu as a key example.

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The coastal highway project emerged as a symbol of Tinubu's influence in Lagos politics and the constituency's proximity to federal power, with Adams crediting Governor Sanwo-Olu for responding consistently to local demands.

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Adams listed several projects that had transformed the constituency, including the rehabilitation of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, installation of solar-powered street lighting, and newly constructed roads, which had improved the quality of life for residents.

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The rally's deeper significance lay in the attempt by Lagos APC figures to consolidate political consensus ahead of the next election cycle, with Murphy Adetoro describing the event as a preview of the party primaries.

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Adetoro announced that the APC's Central Working Committee and local government chairmen had submitted formal letters endorsing Adams to party leadership, while also declaring support for President Tinubu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.

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Party leaders vowed that Tinubu would decisively win Lagos in 2027, with Adetoro stating that the president's achievements spoke volumes and that the party had started working to ensure Hamzat's victory.

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Former lawmaker Yahaya Dosunmu proposed that the next Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly should emerge from Eti-Osa, drawing loud applause from supporters, as he argued that the constituency deserved a key role in state politics.

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The endorsements served as validation and political leverage for Adams, who recounted how party elders, APC chairmen, youth leaders, and local government officials had backed his candidacy.

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Adams stated that he was contesting the election based on popular demand, with his constituents having signed letters and voiced their support for his candidacy.

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Adams' electoral declaration sent supporters into celebration, as he proclaimed that the party would win the presidential, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly elections.