Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has publicly recounted how his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, stepped aside from his 2018 governorship ambition to support his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
Sanwo-Olu shared the account in a personal statement following the unveiling of Hamzat’s “The Lagos Promise” manifesto for the 2027 governorship election.
According to the governor, Hamzat had spent 13 years in public service under former governors Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola and had the experience and political backing to pursue the governorship in 2018.
Sanwo-Olu said party leaders subsequently asked Hamzat to step aside for him, a decision he described as an uncommon demonstration of selflessness and loyalty.
He recalled that Hamzat accepted the decision without resentment and, five weeks later, agreed to join his ticket as running mate.
“It takes a rare man to put down what he wants without nursing a grudge,” Sanwo-Olu said, adding that he had never forgotten the gesture.
Reflecting on their years in office, the governor said his assessment of Hamzat was based not merely on his résumé but on their close working relationship since 2019.
“For 2,711 days, I have been in that room with him,” Sanwo-Olu said, citing their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of major infrastructure projects, including the Blue and Red rail lines and Lekki Deep Sea Port.
He also portrayed Hamzat as an active participant in governance rather than a ceremonial deputy, saying the administration had maintained a common direction throughout their tenure.
Sanwo-Olu further highlighted Hamzat’s engineering background and previous roles in Lagos government, including his involvement in projects under the Fashola administration and government digitisation initiatives under Tinubu.
Using a relay race as an analogy for political succession in Lagos, the governor argued that leadership should be handed to someone already engaged in the work of governance.
His remarks came as Hamzat formally unveiled a 100-point manifesto, “The Lagos Promise,” outlining proposed policies across transportation, healthcare, housing, education, employment, security and other sectors ahead of the 2027 election.
Sanwo-Olu concluded his message by describing Hamzat as a continuation of the succession of administrations that have governed Lagos since 1999, presenting the deputy governor’s campaign as the next phase of that political and developmental trajectory.
