Femi Ashekun/
Political signals ahead of the 2027 Lagos governorship race became more pronounced on Wednesday as the Chairman of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Tajudeen Olusi, repeatedly referred to Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, as the “incoming Governor of Lagos” during the Ibile Eko Summit held in Lagos.
The remarks, made in the presence of senior political leaders and stakeholders, drew immediate attention within political circles, particularly as they were delivered in a formal setting regarded as significant in shaping elite consensus within Lagos State politics.
The event also featured former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, who was seated directly beside Hamzat during the proceedings, a detail that further heightened interest in the political undertone of the gathering.
Observers at the summit noted that Olusi made repeated references to Hamzat in terms that strongly suggested political continuity at the top of the Lagos State hierarchy, at one point describing him explicitly as “our incoming Governor of Lagos.”
The comment, delivered more than once during his address, reportedly drew visible reactions from delegates, given its implications for succession politics in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Olusi also used the platform to reinforce Hamzat’s roots within Lagos, describing him as a “cousin from Egbe,” a remark he said many people were previously unaware of, and one that he presented as further validation of Hamzat’s indigenous standing within the state’s traditional and political structures.
The Ibile Eko Summit, which brings together political leaders, traditional rulers, and influential stakeholders of Lagos origin, is widely regarded as a strategic forum within Lagos political architecture, often used to project elite consensus on governance direction and political continuity.
Hamzat, an engineer and long-serving public administrator, has been Deputy Governor of Lagos State since 2019 under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Over the years, he has occupied several strategic positions in both state and federal administration, including serving as a Commissioner in Lagos State and later as Minister of State for Works.
His political profile has increasingly been associated with continuity within the established Lagos political structure, particularly within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), where senior figures and advisory councils play influential roles in shaping long-term succession planning.
Although neither Hamzat nor former Governor Babatunde Fashola publicly commented on Prince Olusi’s remarks at the summit, the optics of the gathering, especially Fashola’s proximity to Hamzat during the event, have further fuelled interpretation of subtle succession signalling within elite political circles.
With formal political processes for the 2027 governorship race yet to commence, analysts say such statements, even when framed informally, often carry weight in Lagos politics, where elite consensus-building has historically played a significant role in determining political direction.
The comments by the GAC Chairman are therefore expected to intensify conversations around succession dynamics in Lagos State, as political alignments gradually take shape ahead of the next election cycle.
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