Lagos 2027: Jandor dismisses claim about Tinubu endorsing Hamzat for governorship
Jandor Refutes Claims of Tinubu’s Endorsement of Hamzat for Lagos Governorship
Former Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Abdulazeez Adediran, known as Jandor, has dismissed allegations that President Bola Tinubu has endorsed Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election.
In an interview on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, Jandor asserted that Hamzat has neither formally declared his candidacy nor received any endorsement from the President.
“He hasn’t even said to us himself that he is running,” Jandor stated, referring to Hamzat, who has over 20 years of experience in government service.
Addressing the topic of presidential endorsement, Jandor cautioned that candidates like himself would be the first to know if such an announcement had been made. “No, the President hasn’t endorsed anyone. I am an aspirant, and we are a few people also gunning for this. We will be the first set of people to know if there is anything like that because communication will come,” he said.
Jandor highlighted that the APC has not indicated any intention to pursue a consensus arrangement, noting that the current stance is favoring direct primaries. “As we speak, the party says it’s going to be direct primaries. If tomorrow it says this is what we are doing, we will fall in line. The party is supreme,” he added.
He indicated that he had met with President Tinubu, who did not discourage his aspirations nor made any promises regarding the party ticket. This encounter, he stated, bolstered his decision to remain in the race.
Jandor framed his early declaration of candidacy as a matter of self-belief, paralleling his situation with Tinubu’s previous political journey. “Absolutely, because if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody will believe in you. When the President was running for the ticket, he came out to say he wanted to run,” he remarked.
In discussing opposition politics in Lagos, Jandor claimed that political consolidation under the APC has effectively diminished rival parties. He reaffirmed his commitment to support whichever candidate secures the APC nomination, should he not emerge victorious himself.
The competition for the 2027 Lagos governorship is intensifying as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu concludes his term. Aspiring candidates rumored to be pursuing the position include Hamzat, former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, presidential aide Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and Minister of Education Tunji Alausa.
