Sanwo-Olu recounts how Hamzat stepped down for him in 2018 Lagos governorship race

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has recounted how his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, abandoned his governorship ambition in 2018 to support his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat had the experience, political connections and public service record to win the governorship election but agreed to step aside after party leaders asked him to support his candidacy.

The governor disclosed this in a post on his X account on Friday, describing Hamzat’s decision as an uncommon display of selflessness and loyalty.

According to him, Hamzat had served for 13 years in public service under former Lagos governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola before expressing interest in succeeding Akinwunmi Ambode in 2018.

“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,” Sanwo-Olu wrote.

Hamzat eventually withdrew from the APC governorship primary in September 2018 and declared support for Sanwo-Olu, who went on to emerge as the party’s candidate and win the 2019 governorship election.

Reflecting on their working relationship since assuming office in 2019, Sanwo-Olu said he had spent 2,711 days working with his deputy without questioning his loyalty or commitment.

He also credited Hamzat with playing important roles in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the delivery of major infrastructure projects, including the Blue and Red rail lines and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

The governor noted that Hamzat’s engineering background had been valuable in assessing government projects, adding that his deputy had remained involved in major decisions throughout their administration.

Sanwo-Olu further highlighted Hamzat’s previous roles as commissioner for Science and Technology under Tinubu and commissioner for Works and Infrastructure during Fashola’s administration.

He described their working relationship as an example of continuity in Lagos governance, which he said had been sustained across successive administrations since 1999.

The governor’s remarks came as Hamzat unveiled his governorship manifesto, tagged The Lagos PROMISE, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Sanwo-Olu urged Lagos residents to support his deputy, describing his ambition as the next phase of the state’s leadership transition.