Hamzat stepped aside for me in 2018 without grudges – Sanwo-Olu
by Adeola Balogun · The Eagle OnlineLagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has recounted how his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, abandoned his ambition to become governor in 2018 after party leaders asked him to step aside in his favour.
Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat had the experience, political backing and public service record to contest the governorship election but agreed to become his running mate about five weeks after withdrawing from the race.
The governor disclosed this in a post shared on his X account on Friday, describing Hamzat’s decision as a rare act of selflessness that he had never forgotten.
“Back in September 2018, Femi Hamzat wanted to be Governor of Lagos State. He had thirteen years of public service under Asiwaju and BRF, with the record and backing to win. Then party leaders asked him to step aside for me. ₦300,000 minimum wage
“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,” he wrote.
Hamzat withdrew from the Lagos governorship race in September 2018 and urged his supporters to vote for Sanwo-Olu in the All Progressives Congress primary.
Reflecting on their working relationship since assuming office in 2019, Sanwo-Olu said he had spent 2,711 days working alongside Hamzat and had never questioned his deputy’s loyalty.
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“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,” he said.
The governor also credited Hamzat with contributing to the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of major infrastructure projects, including the Blue and Red rail lines and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
He said Hamzat’s engineering background enabled him to ask technical questions about projects before their completion, adding that his deputy had been involved in key decisions throughout their administration.
Sanwo-Olu further highlighted Hamzat’s previous public service roles, including his time as commissioner for Science and Technology under former Governor Bola Tinubu and commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under former Governor Babatunde Fashola.
“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 said.
He also cited Hamzat’s involvement in the construction of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge and the digitisation of government processes in Lagos.
“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,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu’s remarks came as Hamzat presented his governorship manifesto, tagged The Lagos PROMISE, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The governor described Hamzat’s ambition as the next phase of a leadership transition that began in 1999, urging Lagos residents to support his deputy.
“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.
“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,” he said.
END
2027: Atiku’s son pledges 10 buses for Tinubu’s campaign
Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has pledged 10 buses to support mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abba made the pledge during a visit to the All Progressives Congress National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, according to a statement issued by the party’s Senior Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation to the Deputy National Chairman, Yusi Buba.
He was received by the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori, during the visit.
Buba said Abba commended the party’s leadership and Tinubu’s administration, expressing support for the President’s continuity in office.
“In a demonstration of his commitment to the political engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections, Hon. Abba Atiku Abubakar announced the donation of ten buses to support activities aimed at mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2027,” the statement said.
The APC aide said Dalori welcomed Abba and acknowledged his pledge of 10 buses as support for the party’s mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development followed Abba’s announcement of a nationwide mobilisation plan for Tinubu’s re-election and the unveiling of the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, a political support platform.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Abba said the organisation would begin its activities in the Federal Capital Territory before expanding to other parts of the country.
He also announced plans for a two-million-man mobilisation march across the six geopolitical zones, beginning in Abuja.
Abba had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC in January, declaring support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Abba’s father, Atiku, is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 general election.
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