How Hamzat dropped 2018 governorship bid- Sanwo-Olu recalls

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has recounted how his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, abandoned his governorship ambition in 2018 after party leaders asked him to step aside in his favour.

Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat had the experience, political backing and public service record to contest the governorship election but agreed to become his running mate about five weeks after withdrawing from the race.

The governor disclosed this in a post shared on his X account on Friday, describing Hamzat’s decision as a rare act of selflessness that he had never forgotten.

“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,” he wrote.

Hamzat withdrew from the Lagos governorship race in September 2018 and urged his supporters to vote for Sanwo-Olu in the All Progressives Congress governorship primary.

Reflecting on their working relationship since assuming office in 2019, Sanwo-Olu said he had spent 2,711 days working alongside Hamzat without questioning his deputy’s loyalty.

“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,” he said.

The governor also credited Hamzat with contributing to the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of major infrastructure projects, including the Blue and Red rail lines and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

He said Hamzat’s engineering background enabled him to ask technical questions about projects before their completion, adding that his deputy had been involved in key decisions throughout their administration.

Sanwo-Olu further highlighted Hamzat’s previous public service roles, including his tenure as commissioner for Science and Technology under former Governor Bola Tinubu and commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under former Governor Babatunde Fashola.

“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,” he said.

He also cited Hamzat’s involvement in the construction of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge and the digitisation of government processes in Lagos.

“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,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu’s remarks came as Hamzat presented his governorship manifesto, tagged The Lagos PROMISE, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The governor described Hamzat’s ambition as the next phase of a leadership transition that began in 1999, urging Lagos residents to support his deputy.

“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.

“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,” he said.