The Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Lagos State’s apex political advisory body, has endorsed Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 governorship election, a decision that effectively signals the end of the road for other aspirants, including Olajide Adediran (aka Jandor) and former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
The endorsement was announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu following a GAC meeting held at Lagos House, Marina.
The council, which exercises significant influence over the affairs of the APC in Lagos State, arrived at the decision after extensive deliberations, with members unanimously throwing their weight behind the incumbent deputy governor.
Governor Sanwo-Olu described Hamzat as a committed partner whose contributions have been central to the administration’s achievements, expressing full confidence that the state’s ongoing developmental programmes would continue seamlessly under his leadership.
He added that the GAC’s unanimous backing reflects deep internal consensus within the party and reinforces the administration’s resolve to maintain its policy direction beyond 2027.
Dr. Hamzat expressed deep appreciation following his unanimous endorsement by the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 Lagos State election.
Reacting to the development, he described the endorsement as both humbling and historic, noting that it reflects the confidence reposed in him by the apex leadership of the party.
“I was honoured to receive the unanimous endorsement of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) as the official APC Governorship candidate for Lagos in the 2027 elections,” he said.
Hamzat also extended his gratitude to the Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Prince Tajudeen Olusi, as well as other members, for their trust and support.
However, the endorsement has not gone unchallenged. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Gbenga Ogunleye, Jandor while acknowledging the governor’s constitutional right to endorse a candidate of his choice maintained that the party leadership was yet to formally reverse its earlier position that the 2027 gubernatorial candidate would emerge through a direct primary.
“As it stands, the expectation remains that a direct primary will determine the party’s gubernatorial candidate,” the statement read, adding that Jandor “remains firmly in the race” and would continue grassroots engagement across the state pending any official directive to the contrary.
Jandor’s camp was careful to frame his position not as a confrontation with party leaders who have declared support for Hamzat, but as a defence of the internal democratic process, describing the diversity of opinion as “a hallmark of a healthy democratic system.”
The GAC’s endorsement nonetheless marks a decisive turn in the Lagos 2027 succession conversation, consolidating establishment support around Hamzat and raising the political stakes for aspirants who had staked their campaigns on the prospect of an open primary.
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