Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has recounted how his deputy, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, abandoned his governorship ambition in 2018 and agreed to run alongside him, describing the decision as a demonstration of loyalty and selflessness.
Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat, who had spent 13 years in public service under former governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, had the experience, political backing and credentials to contest the governorship before party leaders asked him to step aside.
Speaking on Friday at the unveiling of Hamzat’s manifesto, titled The Lagos Promise, ahead of the 2027 governorship election, Sanwo-Olu said his deputy accepted the decision without bitterness and agreed to become his running mate five weeks later.
‘Most of you know this story, but none of you have heard it from me,’ the governor said, recalling the events of September 2018.
‘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 said his seven years working closely with Hamzat had reinforced his confidence in the deputy governor’s character, commitment and capacity to lead Lagos.
He described their relationship as one built on trust, shared responsibility and a common vision, adding that there had never been a day he questioned Hamzat’s loyalty.
‘For 2,711 days, I have been in that room with him. 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 cited their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of the Lagos Blue and Red rail lines and the opening of the Lekki Deep Sea Port as examples of their partnership.
He said Hamzat’s engineering background and experience in government had made him an active participant in major infrastructure projects, even before their official commissioning.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted Hamzat’s previous contributions to Lagos, including the construction of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge under Fashola and the digitisation of government operations under Tinubu.
Describing Lagos governance as a relay race, the governor said successive administrations since 1999 had sustained development by building on the achievements of 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,’ he said.
He argued that Hamzat’s emergence as the APC’s governorship candidate represented continuity in the state’s development trajectory rather than an experiment with an inexperienced leader.
‘Critics say Lagos keeps choosing from the same pool. I say Lagos trains its people,’ Sanwo-Olu said, adding that the state’s long-term master plan, which extends to 2052, required experienced leadership to sustain ongoing projects.
The governor, who said he had seven months left in office, urged Hamzat to preserve existing initiatives, address outstanding challenges and introduce new policies where necessary.
‘The greatest gift a governor can leave his people is to hand over to someone who will not break the house,’ he said.
Hamzat, who unveiled 100 campaign pledges, said 87 were firm commitments within the state government’s powers, while 13 were aspirations dependent on wider consultations, federal authorities and judicial processes.
He pledged to establish a public accountability framework within his first 100 days, including a service delivery office to publish baseline figures and track progress on campaign promises.
The manifesto also outlined priorities in child protection, nutrition, education, healthcare, public service reform and economic development.
Sanwo-Olu urged APC members to take the manifesto to residents across Lagos, expressing confidence that Hamzat would sustain the state’s development while building on the achievements of successive administrations.
A former Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan, speaking on behalf of the party’s Governance Advisory Council (GAC), described Hamzat as cerebral, hardworking and committed to the development of Lagos.
She maintained that the state’s progress was built on purposeful planning and sustained policies, arguing that continuity should not be mistaken for resistance to change but should involve learning from past experiences and improving on existing achievements.
The Lagos APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, said the party was confident in Hamzat’s capacity to lead the state, citing his experience in both the public and private sectors.
He said the party remained committed to inclusive governance, economic growth and consolidating the achievements of successive administrations, adding that Lagos could not afford to stagnate or reverse its development.