Sanwo-Olu: How Hamzat shelved 2018 governorship ambition to support me

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has revealed that Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat abandoned his 2018 governorship ambition at the request of leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to support his candidacy.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that Hamzat had spent 13 years in public service under former Governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola and possessed both the experience and political backing to contest the governorship before party leaders prevailed on him to step aside.

The governor, who described Hamzat’s decision as an act of uncommon loyalty and selflessness, said his deputy accepted the decision without bitterness and, within five weeks, agreed to become his running mate.

Sanwo-Olu said in a statement on Friday night: “Most of you know this story, but none of you have heard it from me.

“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.

“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.

“Anyone can read a CV but only the person in the room with a man when the cameras leave can tell you who he really is. For 2,711 days, I have been in that room with him.”

Sanwo-Olu noted that Hamzat, who unveiled his manifesto for the 2027 gubernatorial election on Friday, played a pivotal role during some of the state’s most challenging and defining moments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of the Blue and Red Rail Lines and the commissioning of the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Sanwo-Olu described Hamzat as an active partner in governance rather than a ceremonial deputy, adding that the administration had operated with one purpose and one direction throughout its tenure.

He said Lagos had sustained a tradition of orderly leadership succession since 1999, with each administration building on the achievements of its predecessor.

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The governor added: “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.

“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.

“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.”

Sanwo-Olu argued that Lagos’ practice of producing leaders from experienced public servants should be seen as institutional continuity rather than a lack of fresh ideas, insisting that the state needed steady leadership to implement its long-term development plans.

He urged Lagos residents to support Hamzat, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, saying the deputy governor was already prepared to continue the state’s development journey.

Sanwo-Olu stated: “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. What Femi presents today is not a campaign promise cooked up on a bus, it is the next leg of a race we have been running since 1999.

“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.”