Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu stands a stronger chance of winning 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, where he discussed the president’s political prospects ahead of the next general elections.
The deputy governor argued that the political factors that shaped the 2023 presidential contest had changed, giving Nigerians an opportunity to evaluate Tinubu based on his performance since assuming office.
According to Hamzat, concerns surrounding religion and regional identity, which he said affected Tinubu’s support in some parts of the country during the 2023 election, had reduced as Nigerians observed the president’s approach to governance and political appointments.
“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 southern background had presented challenges in some predominantly Christian areas, particularly in the South-South and South-East.
“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, maintained that Tinubu’s actions since taking office had shown that religion and ethnicity did not determine his choice of government officials 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 several appointments made by Tinubu, including appointments to key economic positions that had previously generated discussions over the religious identities of those selected.
Hamzat said the 2027 election would be different because Tinubu would be seeking a second 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 differences should not prevent Nigerians from cooperating, noting that he regularly attends Christian gatherings despite being a Muslim.
“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 referenced the activities of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), where Christian and Muslim leaders engage in discussions on issues affecting the state.
Hamzat recalled a disagreement over an autopsy-related policy, saying members of the Muslim community initially opposed the policy because of their preference for prompt burial of deceased persons.
According to him, the matter was eventually resolved through dialogue involving 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.
Hamzat said the approach adopted in Lagos demonstrated the kind of religious and ethnic inclusiveness he believes the Tinubu administration is also promoting at the national level.
“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 that Tinubu would perform better electorally in 2027, particularly in Lagos State.
“So I think the chances are far, far, far better,” Hamzat said.
