Hamzat gave up governorship ambition for me in 2018 — Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has recalled how his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, withdrew from the 2018 governorship race to support his emergence as the All Progressives Congress candidate. Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat, despite having the experience and political backing to contest the election, accepted the decision of party leaders to step aside and later agreed to run as his deputy.

The governor disclosed this in a post on his X account on Friday, describing Hamzat’s decision as an act of selflessness he had not 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 governorship contest in September 2018 and urged his supporters to back Sanwo-Olu during the APC primary election. Reflecting on their seven years in office, the governor said he had worked alongside Hamzat for 2,711 days without questioning his loyalty or commitment to their administration.

“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. Sanwo-Olu also credited Hamzat with playing a role in the state government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the execution of major infrastructure projects, including the Blue and Red rail lines and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

He said Hamzat’s engineering background had enabled him to make technical contributions to projects, adding that his deputy had been involved in key decisions throughout their administration. The governor highlighted Hamzat’s previous public service experience, including his roles as commissioner for Science and Technology under former Governor Bola Tinubu and commissioner for Works and Infrastructure during the administration of 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 recalled Hamzat’s involvement in the construction of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge under Fashola and the digitisation of government processes during Tinubu’s administration.

“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,” Sanwo-Olu added. 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 part of the state’s leadership transition since the return to democracy in 1999. “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.