Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will have a stronger chance of securing re-election in 2027 than he did during the 2023 presidential election.
Hamzat made the assertion during an appearance on TVC News’
Journalists’ Hangout on Monday while discussing the president’s political
prospects ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to the deputy governor, the political
circumstances that influenced the 2023 presidential contest have changed,
giving Nigerians an opportunity to assess Tinubu based on his performance since
assuming office.
He argued that concerns surrounding religion and regional
identity, which he said affected Tinubu’s chances in 2023, had diminished as
Nigerians increasingly observed the president’s approach to appointments and
governance.
“In 2023, we have at the national level, when the president
won the primaries of our party, I think it’s a calculation of their own,”
Hamzat said.
He explained that Tinubu’s Muslim faith and background as a
southern candidate had raised concerns in parts of the country, particularly in
the South-South and South-East, where Christianity is predominant.
“So in the South, if you are a Muslim candidate as a
president, you are a minority. So the challenge is, can you appeal minorities?”
he said.
Hamzat, however, said Tinubu’s conduct in office had
demonstrated that neither religion nor ethnicity influenced his choice of
people for government positions or the direction of his administration.
“Our president is somebody that looks for credible people,
that looks for intelligent people. He’s blinded to your ethnicity. He’s blinded
to your religion,” he said.
The deputy governor pointed to appointments made by the
president, noting that some of them had previously attracted criticism based on
the religious identities of individuals appointed to key positions, including
the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank.
Hamzat said the situation heading into 2027 was different
because Tinubu would be seeking another term with an established record that
his administration could defend.
“It’s the president. He has records that he can defend. And
then, of course, the issue of religion, I think, has gone down. People see that
we are all together,” he said.
Using Lagos as an example, Hamzat said religious diversity
should not prevent Nigerians from working together, noting that although he is
a Muslim, he regularly participates in Christian gatherings.
“I’m a candidate of the party. I’m a Muslim. But you see me
going to churches. That is how Lagos is,” he said.
He also highlighted the activities of the Lagos State
chapter of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), where Christian and
Muslim leaders meet to discuss matters affecting the state.
Hamzat recalled a disagreement over an autopsy-related
policy, explaining that members of the Muslim community initially opposed it
because of their preference for the prompt burial of deceased persons.
He said the disagreement was eventually resolved through
dialogue between Christian and Muslim representatives under NIREC.
“The Muslim community did not like that. We need to bury our
dead immediately. But it was at NIREC that we sat down, Christian, Muslim, and
said, okay, let’s look at it,” he said.
According to Hamzat, the approach adopted in Lagos reflected
the broader principle of religious and ethnic inclusiveness he said was being
promoted by the Tinubu administration.
“So that is the way we should run our country. And that’s
what the president has been doing. And I think a lot of Nigerians have seen
that,” he said.
The APC governorship candidate consequently predicted a
stronger electoral performance for Tinubu in 2027, particularly in Lagos State.
“So I think the chances are far, far, far better,” Hamzat
said.
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