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JUST IN: Ambode backs Hamzat after Tinubu’s endorsement as Lagos APC succession race intensifies
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

JUST IN: Ambode backs Hamzat after Tinubu’s endorsement as Lagos APC succession race intensifies

From Premium Times · (7m ago) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has endorsed Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat for the 2027 governorship election, following President Bola Tinubu's backing.
  • Ambode cited Hamzat's loyalty, experience, and dedication to the party's ideals as reasons for his support.
  • The endorsements consolidate Hamzat's position as the APC's consensus candidate, despite ongoing contestations from other aspirants.

The political landscape in Lagos State is solidifying ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode publicly endorsing Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat. This move, announced on Thursday, aligns with President Bola Tinubu's earlier backing of Hamzat, effectively reinforcing the All Progressives Congress (APC) succession plan.

I join my fellow members of the All Progressives Congress to congratulate my brother and friend, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, on his emergence as the Consensus Governorship Candidate of our great party, the APC.

— Akinwunmi AmbodeEndorsing Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat for the Lagos APC governorship candidacy.

Ambode's statement highlighted Hamzat's "deliberate and purposeful consultations" and his commitment to the party's "ideals and values of Unity and Progress." He further praised Hamzat's "loyalty, hardwork and dedication" over two decades, expressing confidence in his ability to govern Lagos. This endorsement effectively quashes any lingering speculation about Ambode's own potential return to the governorship, a position he lost to the incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in 2019.

Your deliberate and purposeful consultations with the Party hierarchy and all members of the Party have demonstrated you are a true Party man committed to the Party’s ideals and values of Unity and Progress.

— Akinwunmi AmbodePraising Hamzat's commitment and consultation efforts within the party.

The convergence of endorsements from key party figures, including President Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu, positions Hamzat as the APC's undisputed consensus candidate. While Hamzat himself expressed gratitude, viewing the endorsements as a "vote of confidence" and a call to continue the "good work" and build on the "foundation the President has laid," the race is not entirely without its challenges. Aspirants like Olajide Adediran have reportedly obtained the party's expression of interest forms, indicating that internal contestations may persist despite the strong show of unity from the party leadership. This consolidation of power within the APC in Lagos reflects a strategic approach to maintaining political dominance, a narrative that resonates deeply within the state's complex political ecosystem.

I strongly believe that the greater prosperity of Lagos and indeed Nigeria is firmly tied to the continued governance of Mr President

— Akinwunmi AmbodeReaffirming support for President Tinubu's leadership and its link to Lagos and Nigeria's prosperity.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Premium Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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