Sanwo-Olu says Hamzat has earned Lagos succession through seven years of partnership, loyalty and leadership on major projects.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, as a loyal and dependable partner, saying his commitment to governance makes him the right person to continue the state’s leadership.
Sanwo-Olu made the remarks in a post on X, where he recounted how Hamzat stepped aside from his governorship ambition in 2018 to support his emergence as the All Progressives Congress candidate.
The governor said Hamzat had spent thirteen years in public service under former Lagos governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola before party leaders asked him to withdraw from the race.
According to Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat accepted the decision without resentment and agreed to run alongside him five weeks later.
He said, “It takes a rare man to put down what he wants without nursing a grudge. Femi shook my hand and five weeks later, agreed to run beside me. I have never forgotten that.”
Sanwo-Olu said his seven-year working relationship with Hamzat had demonstrated the deputy governor’s loyalty, commitment and capacity to work as part of a team.
He added that their partnership had remained consistent through major challenges and infrastructure projects, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue and Red rail lines and the opening of the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
The governor said Hamzat had also contributed to critical decisions on major projects long before their official commissioning.
Sanwo-Olu described his deputy as an exceptional public servant who had fulfilled his promise to be the best deputy governor in Lagos history.
“In many states, deputies are kept in reserve. On day one, Femi promised to be the best deputy governor in Lagos history. He kept his word,” he said.
The governor added that their administration had maintained a united front throughout its tenure.
“In seven years, there has not been a single day I wondered whose side he was on. We have had one government, one direction, and one voice.”
Sanwo-Olu also defended the Lagos political succession arrangement, saying the state had maintained continuity in governance through successive administrations since 1999.
He likened the process to a relay race, where runners must maintain their speed and work together before passing the baton.
“Lagos runs on a relay system. The baton is never passed to a runner standing still. You run at full speed inside the exchange zone, together, before the pass,” he said.
The governor cited Hamzat’s experience in infrastructure development and public administration, noting that he built the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge under former governor Babatunde Fashola and contributed to the digitisation of government under Tinubu.
He also highlighted Hamzat’s engineering background and family connection to public service, saying his father served under former governor Lateef Jakande.
Responding to criticism that Lagos continues to select its leaders from the same political circle, Sanwo-Olu said the state develops its own leadership through experience and continuity.
He argued that the state’s ongoing projects and long-term development plans made continuity important.
“With major projects underway and a master plan stretching to 2052, this is not the time to experiment,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu added that Hamzat’s vision was not based on campaign promises but on the continuation of work already underway in the state.
“What Femi presents today is not a campaign promise cooked up on a bus, it is the next leg of a race we have been running since 1999,” he said.
The governor concluded by urging Lagos residents to support Hamzat’s leadership ambition, describing him as a candidate already familiar with the state’s governance and development priorities.
“Lagos does not hand the baton to a man standing still. Today, you have seen the man who is already running. Let us move forward together with The Lagos PROMISE.”
