Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, says his ambition to become governor of Lagos State is now “completely off the table”.
Speaking during an interview on the “Mic On podcast” hosted by Channels Television journalist Seun Okinbaloye, Obanikoro said his priority has shifted to mentoring younger Nigerians.
The former minister said people of his generation should focus on guiding the next generation, stressing that Nigeria’s future belongs to young people.
“It is completely off the table (referring to governorship ambition). I’m 66, at this age we want to reflect more and do things that will properly help the coming generation,” Obanikoro said.
“Let me say this, particularly in Nigeria, there is a need for people to mentor the coming generation. The family structure has more or less collapsed.
“Our value system is in reverse gear. When you review all of that, the best people like us can do is mentor more.
“Let the coming generation be calm and patient. Whether we like it or not, they stand to inherit Nigeria.”
Obanikoro contested the 2007 Lagos governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but lost to Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress (AC).
Before the election, he defected from the Alliance for Democracy (AD), where he represented Lagos Central in the Senate, to the PDP.
He challenged the political structure of Bola Tinubu, under whose administration he had previously served as a commissioner during Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor from 1999 to 2007.
Reflecting on the 2007 election, Obanikoro maintained that he believed he won the contest.
“I also believe that we won that election, but you know Nigeria, it is what it is,” he said.
When asked whether he regretted contesting against Tinubu’s political machinery, Obanikoro said he had no regrets.
According to him, becoming governor of Lagos was his only ambition at the time.
“All I wanted to do was to achieve what I set my mind on. I was not even thinking about whether I’m fighting against my own family — the Bola Tinubu’s political structure,” he said.
“I just felt I wanted to be governor because at that time I was full of so many things in my mind.”
Obanikoro is currently a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was recently appointed Director-General of Obafemi Hamzat’s governorship campaign for the 2027 Lagos election.