Joyce Ekeh
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has recalled how his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, stepped down from his governorship ambition in 2018 to allow him emerge as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2019 Lagos governorship election.
Sanwo-Olu described Hamzat’s decision as an uncommon demonstration of loyalty and political maturity, saying he had never forgotten the sacrifice.
The governor, in a Facebook post, said party leaders had approached Hamzat, who was also interested in succeeding former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to step aside for him.
He said Hamzat, despite spending 13 years in public service under former governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, accepted the arrangement without resentment.
He said: “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 Hamzat’s loyalty had remained consistent throughout their seven years in government, particularly during difficult periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the execution of major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos Blue and Red rail lines and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
He described his deputy as an active partner in governance rather than a ceremonial number two, crediting him with significant contributions to the administration’s achievements.
The governor also defended the succession arrangement within the Lagos APC, arguing that the state had developed a system of grooming political leaders and sustaining continuity in governance.
He said Lagos’ development agenda, including its long-term master plan extending to 2052, required experience and continuity rather than experimentation.
Sanwo-Olu maintained that Hamzat’s governorship ambition represented a continuation of the development trajectory pursued by successive administrations since 1999.
He urged Lagos residents to support his deputy, describing him as a leader with the commitment, experience and capacity to sustain the state’s development agenda.
