Jostling begins as the battle to become the next Lagos State governor in 2027 starts

CANDIDATES hoping to become the next Lagos State governor have begun jostling for the ticket with political stakeholders already initiating moves to select a successor to the incumbent Babajide Sanwoolu.

Come 2027, Lagosians will elect a new governor and the race has already begun, with Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu and former speaker of the House of Representatives, said to be the front runner. Other contenders are said to include Seyi Tinubu, Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Hon Mudashiru Obasa.

Nollywood actor and lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, is reportedly leading a silent push for Hon Gbajabiamila to emerge as the APC flagbearer in the next gubernatorial election. Supporters are said to be banking on his close ties to the president and long-standing political experience, which they believe make him a strong contender.

However, some party members believe that by 2027, Hon Gbajabiamila, who will be 64, may be too old to govern a complex and fast-moving state like Lagos. One senior party official said Hon Gbajabiamila should stay back in Abuja and continue supporting the president as Lagos needs someone younger.

Lagos State is organised into five administrative districts, collectively called Ibile, namely Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe. Notably, the last four governors of the state, Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have all hailed from either Lagos Island or Epe.

Stakeholders from Epe, a region that once produced former governor Akinwunmi Ambode, are pressing for political rebalancing, saying they have been marginalised since he left office. As a result, attention has shifted to the current minister of state for health and social welfare, Dr Maruf Alausa, who hails from Epe.

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa, is also being quietly touted by political and religious circles. Also making the rounds is the name of Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Tinubu.

From Ikorodu, there are calls for either deputy governor Obafemi Hamzat or Hon Babajimi Benson to emerge as the next governor. However, should neither of them clinch the ticket, strong lobbying is ongoing for Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, former House of Representatives member and current chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, to be considered for the position of deputy governor, especially if the governorship goes to another district.