The Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, has adopted the deputy governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, as the consensus candidate for the forthcoming governorship primaries for the 2027 poll.
The state’s governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the leader of GAC, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, announced the adoption yesterday, after a closed-door strategic meeting held at Lagos House, Marina.
Meanwhile, the duo also announced that the 34-member GAC has agreed to buy the governorship nomination form costing N50 million for Hamzat as a sign of support for his bid.
The council, however, clarified that despite the consensus, the party will still hold primaries for all positions in line with its guidelines to provide a level playing field for all aspirants.
Twenty-three of the 34 GAC members were in attendance, including Senator Tokunbo Abiru, Ganiyu Olawale Solomon, GOS, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Cardinal James Odunmbaku, among others.
After the meeting, GAC chairman, Tajudeen Olusi, explained that although the party’s constitution guarantees free and open primaries for all aspirants and interested members, it also provides for consensus-building as a legitimate and unifying mechanism when necessary.
He said the council reached a collective agreement on Hamzat’s adoption, describing the decision as one driven by the desire to foster peace, cohesion, and continuity within the party as preparations for the 2027 governorship race gathered momentum.
Olusi further noted that the meeting was convened specifically to deliberate on the forthcoming primaries and, in particular, to review the governorship position ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to him, members carefully examined the options available under the party’s constitution, which upholds both competitive primaries and consensus arrangements, before reaching a unanimous decision.
He stressed that consensus remains a strategic platform capable of uniting stakeholders and strengthening internal harmony, adding that the council considered it the most suitable path in the current political context. “Consensus is a platform, a means that can bring us together, that can bring peace and unity,” Olusi said.
In line with this understanding, he disclosed that the council formally adopted Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the current deputy governor of Lagos State, as the party’s consensus candidate, with all members pledging their support for his candidacy.
“It was a special meeting where we deliberated on the forthcoming primaries of our party in preparation for the 2027 general elections, and particularly, we examined the position of the governorship for 2027. The constitution of our party provides for primaries, and our party has guaranteed free primaries for all members, for all aspirants, for all interested individuals.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has clarified that the endorsement of a consensus candidate within the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not override the party’s established democratic procedures, stressing that due process will still be followed through the conduct of primaries ahead of the elections.
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