The lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, James Faleke, has publicly declared support for Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, to succeed as governor in the 2027 elections.
Faleke made his position known via a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, urging party faithful and his supporters across Lagos to rally behind Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress prepares for its primaries scheduled for May.
“Good evening all. As we prepare for Party primaries next month, I urge all our supporters in Ikeja Federal Constituency and Lagos State to support Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as the next Governor of Lagos State from 2027–2035 IJN. Amen!” he wrote.
Within the APC, there are indications that leaders are gravitating toward a consensus approach that could see Hamzat emerge as the party’s governorship flagbearer in Lagos.
In neighbouring states, similar alignments are reportedly taking shape, with party insiders favouring Senator Olamilekan Adeola, widely known as Yayi, for Ogun State, and Senator Sharafadeen Alli for Oyo State.
These preferences are believed to have stemmed from discussions held during a meeting between APC stakeholders from Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states and President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on March 23.
Sources familiar with the developments disclosed that a follow-up meeting involving the President and key party figures from the South-West was convened to fine-tune strategies and make crucial decisions ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Participants at the Lagos meeting reportedly engaged in extensive deliberations, focusing on party direction and the selection of candidates for key positions.
Those present included the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti; as well as the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zaccheaus Adedeji, among other prominent APC stakeholders.
