Hamzat, the set man for Lagos

On Friday, October 30, Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat (KOF) presented his manifesto to the Lagos publics. Hamzat is the current Deputy Governor of Lagos; and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election. Well read and widely travelled, he combines good scholarship with decades of experience both in private and public sector. At home and abroad, Hamzat has thrived. He has seen the world. And the world has taken notice of him. A PhD holder in systems process engineering from Cranfield University, England, and work experiences from Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, among others overseas, to Oando Plc and Lagos State public service. In Nigeria’s public space, Hamzat needs no re-tooling and upskilling for the job he seeks. And with nearly eight years as deputy governor of Lagos State, working with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, since 2019, Hamzat is by every evaluation, a ready man. He is competent both academically and experientially. A real foreman worthy of his badge.

This article is not so much about his indisputable competence, it is about the character, temperament, street credibility (public perception), courage and humility of the man who wants to lead Lagos. His victory is as assured as yesterday. Transitioning from deputy governor to governor is in itself a piece of history. No deputy governor in the history of Lagos State has ever become governor. In this 4th Republic alone, from 1999 to 2019, Lagos has had six deputy governors, aside Hamzat, who served at different epochs. None ever became governor of the state. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele (1999–2002). She resigned thereafter; Femi Pedro (2003–2007) was impeached though later pardoned; Abiodun Ogunleye (2007)  who served as deputy governor for a transitional period of about two weeks; Sarah Adebisi Sosan (2007–2011) was deputy to Governor Babatunde Fashola in his first term; Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (2011–2015) served under Governor Fashola in his second term; and Oluranti Adebule (2015–2019) served as Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s deputy.

But this is not out of the routine. Nigeria’s political leadership culture has been defective in succession-grooming. Rarely do deputies (or vice presidents) succeed their principals. From 1999 to 2026, only about 10 out of more than 149 deputy governors have transitioned to governors. But these were not intentionally thought out cases. Some happened on account of death of the governor, impeachment, incarceration or other factors beyond the governors. Some were not direct successors but only became governors after many years of self-struggle without input from their former bosses.

This is why Hamzat’s story has a special tapestry. His endorsement has the seal of his immediate boss, Sanwo-Olu. He is the choice of the formidable Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the apex decision-making caucus of the APC in Lagos. The GAC is what defines Lagos politics. Strong, inclusive and fair in its judgment. Formed in 1999 by the then Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now President Tinubu, the GAC seeks at all times to achieve inclusivity and balance in the delicate politics of Lagos State. It has a voice and a hand in decisions verging on governorship succession, zoning arrangements, endorsement of candidates for elective position and even critical appointments. It is a product of the far-sighted vision of Tinubu and it has since become a stabilising force in the APC as it was in all the parties associated with Tinubu. GAC is the reason you don’t have rupture, and sometimes, turmoil in the dominant party in Lagos. If for any reason there is a political storm, the GAC, a club of elders, political veterans and relevant stakeholders, moves quickly to still the storm.

So, what is special about Hamzat that has made him the choice of the GAC, his boss Governor Sanwo-Olu and President Tinubu, the leader of the party and the grand architect of seamless succession politics in Lagos?

Aside being eminently qualified for the job of governor of Nigeria’s most viable commercial hub, Hamzat has over the years showed unalloyed party fidelity, genuine humility, adaptability, a rare willingness to sacrifice his personal ambition for the common good of the party and for the sake of public peace. Both Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat are of the same age bracket; 61 and 62 years old respectively. Both are avant-garde politicians brimming with innovative ideas and products of Tinubu school of politics. Yet, not for one day did Hamzat try to upstage Sanwo-Olu. He submitted to authority. They flowed like an indivisible unit. One evening at a meeting with some editors in Government House, Alausa, both men appeared at the meeting wearing the same colour of suit (a shade of purple, which is rare). It took an editor to point it out and to the shock of their guests, Sanwo-Olu said it was not planned. A coincidence that speaks to the chemistry between them.

In a country where many governors and even presidents don’t have good testimonials about their deputies, Sanwo-Olu has many good stories about Hamzat that underscore his competence, loyalty, humility and courage to lead. On the occasion of Hamzat’s unveiling of his manifesto, Sanwo-Olu said:

“Back in September 2018, Femi Hamzat wanted to be Governor of Lagos State. He had 13 years of public service under Asiwaju and Babatunde Raji Fashola, 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.

“Anyone can read a CV but only the person in the room with a man when the cameras leave can tell you who he really is. For 2,711 days, I have been in that room with him. 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.

“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 Babatunde Raji Fashola, to Ambode, to me.

“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…”

Such is the stellar testimonial of Hamzat, the set man for the next phase of leadership in Lagos. Not many deputies get such impressive citation from their bosses. But it also speaks volumes of the good-naturedness and leadership skill of Sanwo-Olu, a laissez-faire leader (delegative leader) who allows his lieutenants the freedom to excel.