Absolutely. Since you’re publishing this now, the article should explain the April GAC endorsement while also telling readers what happened afterward—especially Hamzat’s eventual victory in the APC primary.
GAC Adopts Hamzat as Consensus Choice for Lagos 2027 Governorship Race
The race to succeed Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu took a major turn after the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the Lagos All Progressives Congress adopted Deputy Governor Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as its consensus choice for the 2027 governorship election.
The decision was announced on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, following a meeting of senior party leaders at Lagos House, Marina. GAC chairman Tajudeen Olusi said all 21 council members present at the meeting agreed to support Hamzat’s governorship ambition. (Channels Television)
The endorsement represented one of the most significant developments in the APC’s succession politics in Lagos, as the GAC is regarded as an influential apex leadership body within the state chapter of the ruling party and has historically played an important role in major political decisions. (TheCable)
GAC unanimously backs Hamzat
Announcing the council’s position, Olusi explained that while the APC constitution provides for party primaries, it also allows the party to explore consensus as a means of promoting unity.
According to him, the members present agreed to rally behind Hamzat and support his ambition to succeed Sanwo-Olu.
The endorsement was followed by a symbolic show of support as Governor Sanwo-Olu and Olusi raised Hamzat’s hand before party leaders gathered at Lagos House. (Channels Television)
Sanwo-Olu also disclosed that members of the GAC had agreed to personally fund Hamzat’s governorship nomination form, further demonstrating the strength of the council’s support for the deputy governor. The Guardian reported the nomination forms at ₦50 million. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Sanwo-Olu had endorsed Hamzat a day earlier
The GAC decision came just one day after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu publicly backed Hamzat as his preferred successor.
Hamzat had formally communicated his intention to contest the governorship during a meeting involving members of the Lagos State Executive Council, party leaders and GAC members.
Sanwo-Olu described his deputy as experienced and prepared to lead Lagos, pointing to their years of working together at the highest level of the state government. The governor described Hamzat as a man who understood the workings of the administration and was prepared for the responsibility of becoming governor. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Hamzat has served as Sanwo-Olu’s deputy since the administration took office in 2019.
Other APC blocs rallied behind Hamzat
Before the GAC’s formal endorsement, Hamzat had been building support among influential figures and groups within the Lagos APC.
Among those who publicly rallied support for his ambition were Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and former senator Musiliu Obanikoro. Reports also indicated backing from powerful party blocs including the Mandate Group and Justice Forum, as well as leaders from Lagos’s three senatorial districts. (The Guardian Nigeria)
The series of endorsements strengthened Hamzat’s position in what had initially appeared likely to become a more competitive APC governorship primary.
Not everyone initially accepted the consensus arrangement
The decision was not without opposition.
APC governorship aspirant Samuel Ajose challenged the move toward a consensus arrangement, arguing that a genuine consensus would require the agreement of all aspirants.
Ajose insisted that the governorship ticket should be decided through the party’s primary election and said aspirants should be allowed to test their popularity among APC members. (Channels Television)
His criticism highlighted an important distinction: the GAC endorsement did not, by itself, legally make Hamzat the APC governorship candidate.
At that point, Hamzat remained the GAC-backed or preferred aspirant, while the APC’s formal candidate still had to emerge in accordance with the party’s nomination process.
That distinction is especially important for a news report covering the April 28 development.
Tinubu subsequently endorses Hamzat
Hamzat’s political momentum increased further the following day.
On April 29, 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu endorsed Hamzat after a meeting with members of the Lagos GAC at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The delegation was led by Tajudeen Olusi and included Governor Sanwo-Olu.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed that Tinubu had endorsed Hamzat as the Lagos APC consensus governorship choice. (Channels Television)
The endorsement was politically significant given Tinubu’s longstanding influence within Lagos politics and his role as a national leader of the APC.
Hamzat said he was honoured by the support and pledged to continue building on Lagos’s development trajectory. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Ambode also throws weight behind Hamzat
Former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode later joined the growing list of prominent politicians supporting Hamzat.
Ambode announced his endorsement on April 30, describing Hamzat’s rise as a reflection of years of loyalty, hard work and dedication to the party and expressing confidence in his governance experience. (Premium Times Nigeria)
The succession battle also changed significantly when Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, withdrew from the APC governorship race amid the growing endorsements for Hamzat. (Premium Times Nigeria)
From GAC consensus choice to official APC candidate
Although the April 28 GAC decision provided enormous political backing, the APC still proceeded with its governorship primary.
That primary eventually took place on May 21, 2026, confirming Hamzat as the party’s official candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election.
Hamzat recorded 657,917 votes out of 657,974 votes cast, according to the results announced by retired General Jon Temlong, chairman of the APC National Governorship Primary Election Committee.
His remaining challenger, Lanre Jim-Kamal, received one vote, while Samuel Ajose had withdrawn before the exercise. (TheCable)
Temlong subsequently declared Hamzat the winner of the primary and the APC candidate for the 2027 election.
This means the GAC’s April endorsement, while initially an internal political decision, ultimately preceded Hamzat’s formal emergence as the party’s flagbearer roughly three weeks later.
Who is Obafemi Hamzat?
Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat is an engineer, technocrat and politician who has served as Deputy Governor of Lagos State since 2019.
Long before becoming deputy governor, Hamzat held important positions in successive Lagos administrations, including serving as Commissioner for Science and Technology and Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.
His experience across technology, infrastructure and public administration has become one of the central arguments supporters use to present him as prepared to take over from Sanwo-Olu.
Sanwo-Olu’s supporters have also emphasised continuity, arguing that Hamzat’s years within the current administration give him extensive knowledge of ongoing Lagos projects and government programmes. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Why the GAC endorsement matters
The April decision was significant beyond merely adding another endorsement to Hamzat’s campaign.
Lagos is Nigeria’s most populous economic centre and one of the country’s most politically significant states. The APC and its predecessor parties have controlled Lagos State since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
As a result, succession battles within the ruling party frequently attract almost as much attention as the general governorship election itself.
The GAC has historically exercised considerable influence within the Lagos APC over issues including succession, appointments and the distribution of political positions. (Channels Television)
Its unanimous backing of Hamzat therefore signalled that a substantial section of the Lagos APC establishment had settled on the deputy governor as its preferred candidate to continue the administration after Sanwo-Olu completes his second term.
What comes next for Hamzat?
With the primary election now concluded and Hamzat formally holding the APC ticket, attention has shifted from the party’s internal contest to the wider 2027 Lagos governorship election.
Hamzat must now convince voters that his experience as deputy governor and his years in Lagos public service make him the right candidate to succeed Sanwo-Olu.
The opposition, meanwhile, is expected to challenge the APC’s long-standing dominance of Lagos as political parties continue preparations for the 2027 general elections.
For Hamzat, the path from deputy governor to governorship hopeful has therefore moved through three important stages: Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement, the GAC’s consensus adoption, and his eventual victory in the APC primary.
The major question now is whether that formidable support within the APC can be translated into victory at the polls in 2027.
