Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has thrown his weight behind Deputy Governor Kadri Obafemi Hamzat’s ambition to succeed him in 2027, describing him as the right person to continue the state’s development agenda.
In a lengthy message published on his Instagram account, Sanwo-Olu praised Hamzat’s loyalty, administrative experience and contributions to successive Lagos administrations. He also argued that the state should maintain continuity in leadership rather than experiment with a new direction.
The endorsement comes as Hamzat formally presents his governorship manifesto, The Lagos PROMISE, setting out his proposed priorities ahead of the 2027 election.
Sanwo-Olu’s message revisits the political events of September 2018, when Hamzat withdrew from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship contest and supported his emergence as the party’s candidate.
According to the governor, Hamzat had spent 13 years in public service under former governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola before party leaders asked him to step aside.
He said Hamzat subsequently agreed to become his running mate, a decision he described as an act of political selflessness.
“It takes a rare man to put down what he wants without nursing a grudge. Femi shook my hand and five weeks later, agreed to run beside me. I have never forgotten that,” Sanwo-Olu wrote.
The governor also reflected on their working relationship since they assumed office in May 2019.
“Anyone can read a CV but only the person in the room with a man when the cameras leave can tell you who he really is. For 2,711 days, I have been in that room with him.”
He credited Hamzat with supporting the administration during the COVID-19 pandemic and the delivery of major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos Blue and Red rail lines and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
“When COVID-19 hit, when we faced our hardest weeks, when the Blue and Red Lines ran and when the Lekki Deep Sea Port opened, Femi was there. Long before any ribbon was cut, he was asking the tough questions an engineer asks,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu described their relationship as a partnership built on shared responsibility.
“In many states, deputies are kept in reserve. On day one, Femi promised to be the best deputy governor in Lagos history. He kept his word. In seven years, there has not been a single day I wondered whose side he was on. We have had one government, one direction, and one voice.”
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Why Sanwo-Olu is pushing for continuity
The governor’s endorsement reflects the political importance of succession in Lagos, where the APC has controlled the state government since 1999.
Sanwo-Olu used a relay race to explain his argument, saying successive administrations had continued projects and policies started by their predecessors.
“Lagos runs on a relay system. The baton is never passed to a runner standing still. You run at full speed inside the exchange zone, together, before the pass. That is how Lagos has been governed for 27 years, from Asiwaju to BRF, to Ambode, to me.”
He argued that Hamzat’s experience across previous administrations would help him manage ongoing projects and protect long-term development plans.
“Critics say Lagos keeps choosing from the same pool. I say Lagos trains its people. With major projects underway and a master plan stretching to 2052, this is not the time to experiment. What Femi presents today is not a campaign promise cooked up on a bus, it is the next leg of a race we have been running since 1999.”
However, continuity also raises questions about how the next administration would address problems that remain unresolved under successive governments.
Residents continue to face traffic congestion, housing affordability challenges, flooding, waste management concerns and unequal access to public services. These issues require more than the completion of inherited infrastructure projects.
The next governor would also need to explain how the state intends to fund new commitments while maintaining existing services and projects.
What Hamzat brings to the race
Hamzat has served as Lagos deputy governor since May 2019.
Before then, he served as commissioner for Science and Technology under Tinubu and commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under Fashola.
His engineering background and experience in government form a major part of the case Sanwo-Olu has made for his succession.
“Femi is a deputy governor like no other. He built the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge under Fashola, digitized government under Asiwaju and holds a doctorate in engineering. His father served Lateef Jakande. This is in his blood,” the governor said.
Hamzat’s involvement in the state’s infrastructure and technology programmes gives him experience with the workings of government.
However, experience alone does not establish how effectively he would govern independently as governor. His proposed policies, ability to manage public finances and willingness to address weaknesses in the existing administration will also matter to voters.
What The Lagos PROMISE proposes
Hamzat’s manifesto, unveiled ahead of the election, outlines a development agenda covering infrastructure, healthcare, transportation, housing, security, employment and public-sector reforms.
The document contains 100 pledges, which Hamzat says include 87 firm commitments and 13 aspirations.
Among the proposals are plans to increase the state’s public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000, expand healthcare infrastructure, upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres and construct two general hospitals.
He also proposes extending the Blue Line rail, improving water transportation, expanding housing opportunities and strengthening neighbourhood security.
On accountability, Hamzat has promised to establish a Service Delivery Office within his first 100 days in office if elected.
He also proposes performance monitoring, annual reports and a system through which residents can track the progress of government commitments.
These proposals could benefit commuters, patients, young jobseekers, small businesses and households struggling with housing costs if the administration delivers them.
But the manifesto’s publication does not guarantee implementation.
Residents will need clear information about project costs, funding sources, delivery schedules, procurement processes and the agencies responsible for each commitment.
Without these details, it may be difficult to determine whether the promises are financially realistic or simply attractive campaign targets.
The political questions behind the endorsement
Sanwo-Olu’s support is significant because it adds to the political backing Hamzat has already received within the APC.
In April 2026, the party’s Governance Advisory Council adopted Hamzat as its consensus governorship aspirant ahead of the 2027 election.
The council’s chairman, Tajudeen Olusi, said members present at the meeting had agreed to support him.
However, the consensus arrangement has not been without criticism.
Samuel Ajose, another APC governorship aspirant, questioned the process and argued that party members should be allowed to test their popularity through primaries.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ajose said:
“We understand what consensus means. Consensus says that every aspirant who has picked the party and nomination form must consent to it. We don’t know why Hamzat is scared of going into the primaries.”
His position highlights an important question about internal party democracy: whether the APC’s leadership will provide a genuinely competitive process for other interested aspirants.
The governor’s endorsement, therefore, strengthens Hamzat’s political position but does not remove the need for a credible nomination process.
What the 2027 election means for Lagos residents
The debate over succession is bigger than the relationship between two political officeholders.
Lagos residents will ultimately bear the consequences of the next administration’s decisions on taxation, infrastructure spending, transportation, housing, healthcare, education and security.
Continuity could help prevent delays to major projects and preserve institutional knowledge. It could also allow the next administration to build on investments already made by previous governments.
However, continuity should not become an excuse to avoid reviewing policies that have failed to produce the expected results.
A new administration should be prepared to publish independent performance assessments, explain project delays, disclose spending and give residents measurable targets.
The state also needs to demonstrate how its development plans will benefit communities outside major commercial and infrastructure corridors.
For instance, expanding rail services and bus fleets could improve mobility, but their impact will depend on affordability, route coverage, reliability and connections with other transport systems.
Similarly, new hospitals and primary healthcare centres will only improve access if the government provides adequate staff, equipment, medicines and sustainable funding.
What happens next?
The next stage will involve the APC’s nomination process, the wider campaign and the presentation of competing policy alternatives to Lagos voters.
Hamzat will need to demonstrate that his manifesto offers more than continuity with the existing administration. He will also need to explain how he intends to deliver its promises, finance them and measure progress.
Sanwo-Olu ended his message by urging residents to support his deputy.
“Lagos does not hand the baton to a man standing still. Today, you have seen the man who is already running. Let us move forward together with The Lagos PROMISE.”
Whether Lagos voters accept that argument will depend not only on the governor’s endorsement or Hamzat’s political experience, but also on the credibility of his plans and the record of the administration he hopes to succeed.
For residents, the central question is straightforward: will continuity deliver a better quality of life, or will the next administration need a different approach to solve problems that have persisted for years?
