Analyst Explains 3 Ways Hamzat Was Prepared to Govern Lagos Years Back
- Obafemi Hamzat has been viewed as the prepped successor for the Lagos State governorship
- Concerns arose over GAC's willingness to allow 16 years in power for the APC gubernatorial candidate in Lagos
- Hamzat's political journey is marked by strategic alliances and prior sacrifices
Obafemi Hamzat, the governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, has been described as the one who has been prepared for the position a long while ago.
Omotayo Yusuf, a political commentator, made the claim while speaking in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, citing three scenarios to buttress his points.
Source: Twitter
Yusuf stated that Hamzat, who is the current deputy governor of the state, has secured the support of the Governor's Advisory Council (GAC), which is a powerful bloc that determines the governorship candidate of the APC in the state. However, he expressed concerns about whether the GAC would be willing to allow Hamzat to stay in office for 16 years, owing to the fact that he has been deputy governor for eight years and may be governor for eight years too.
Why Hamzat migrated to Lagos
Also, the analyst maintained that Hamzat's migration story from the United States to Nigeria appeared to have happened with the agreement that he would one day become the governor of the state. At the same time, Yusuf recalled how Hamzat stepped down for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu ahead of the 2019 elections, before he was nominated as the deputy.
Yusuf's statement reads:
"Based on that knowledge and antecedent, it's clear that Hamzat's position as deputy governor of Lagos State was being prepared for him to be the governor of Lagos. However, where I worry is whether the party has any plan to make him run for eight years, considering that would have kept him at the helm of Lagos affairs for 16 years. That is, eight years as deputy governor, eight years as governor. He has gotten the support of the GAC and other important members of the APC in Lagos long before now, which is why my theory is that he rarely even performed as deputy governor, so that he would rather be in the shadow, preparing for the seat of the governorship.
Source: Twitter
"Don't let us forget how he came to join the APC, which he himself has admitted a number of times. He was working in a bank in the US. Then, Governor Bola Tinubu came to the bank, saw him, they had a conversation, and he convinced him to return to Nigeria because they had work for him to do. Perhaps in the conversation that he had with the former governor, who is now the president, he had been promised that at some point he would take on the mantle of leadership of Lagos State, which is why he agreed to return. Whatever the discussion is, he was convinced enough to return to Nigeria and join politics.
"Also, he ran in the primary election of the APC Lagos in 2019, but ultimately stepped down and became the running mate of the current governor. So his own time has come, eight years as deputy governor. I predict it's just going to be a walk in the park for him in emerging as the governor, not only because he has been in the system, but he also has the pedigree to show for it, academically, work-wise, political experience, and the support of Lagos State.
Gbajabiamila sends a message to ADC
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu's chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has sparked conversation among Nigerians after urging Leke Abejide to remain in the ADC.
Gbajabiamila, while speaking at the lawmaker's wedding anniversary, said the ruling party is satisfied with Abejide's membership in the ADC and urged him to fight for the party.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives' comment came amid the leadership crisis rocking the ADC between the factions of Nafiu Bala and David Mark.
Source: Legit.ng
