Hamzat Emerges APC Candidate for 2027 Lagos Governorship Election
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 Lagos State governorship election.
Hamzat secured the party’s ticket after winning the APC governorship primary held on May 21, 2026, at the party secretariat in Acme, Ogba, Lagos. (Channels Television)
Announcing the result, the Chairman of the APC National Governorship Primary Election Committee, retired General Jonathan Temlong, said Hamzat polled 657,917 votes, while his only remaining challenger, Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal, received one vote. A total of 657,974 party members were accredited for the exercise. Another aspirant, Samuel Ajose, had withdrawn before the primary. (TheCable)
The primary was conducted across the 245 wards in Lagos State’s 20 local government areas, with party officials describing the exercise as peaceful and transparent. Hamzat was subsequently declared the winner and APC’s candidate for the 2027 election. (Channels Television)
Hamzat had received major APC backing
Hamzat’s emergence did not come unexpectedly. Before the primary, several influential groups within the Lagos APC had rallied behind him.
On April 28, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), an influential decision-making body within the Lagos APC, endorsed Hamzat as its consensus governorship aspirant. The endorsement followed growing support for his candidacy from major party stakeholders. (Channels Television)
Reports at the time indicated that Hamzat had also received support from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly and influential APC blocs including the Mandate Group and Justice Forum. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Following his victory at the primary, Hamzat thanked President Bola Tinubu, Governor Sanwo-Olu, APC leaders and party members for their support and expressed his readiness to lead the party into the governorship election. (Vanguard News)
APC announces Hamzat’s running mate
The Lagos APC subsequently announced Damilola Sonayon-James as Hamzat’s deputy governorship candidate.
The announcement was made in June by Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, who said Sonayon-James emerged following consultations among party stakeholders. She serves as the Lagos APC Deputy Woman Leader and has experience in politics and development. (Premium Times Nigeria)
The Hamzat–Sonayon-James ticket will therefore represent the ruling APC in the Lagos governorship contest.
Who is Obafemi Hamzat?
Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has served as Deputy Governor of Lagos State since 2019, alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and was re-elected for a second term in 2023. (kadriobafemihamzat.com)
Before becoming deputy governor, Hamzat held several public-sector positions, including serving as Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology and later Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. His professional background is in engineering and technology.
He studied Agricultural Engineering at the University of Ibadan, where he obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees before earning a doctorate in Systems/Process Engineering from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. (kadriobafemihamzat.com)
What Hamzat is promising Lagos
Hamzat’s campaign platform is positioning technology, infrastructure, education and economic development among its priorities.
His campaign website outlines proposals including a “Digital Lagos 2.0” programme involving emerging technologies and smart-city systems, infrastructure expansion, transportation improvements, education and human-capital development. These are campaign proposals and should be described as such rather than completed government policies. (Obafemi Hamzat)
When is the Lagos governorship election?
According to INEC’s currently published upcoming-election information, the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027. (INEC Nigeria)
Hamzat will be seeking to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and maintain the APC’s control of Nigeria’s commercial capital.
The contest is expected to attract significant national attention because of Lagos State’s political and economic importance and the growing competition among Nigeria’s political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
