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.
