Why Top Players In Lagos Power Circle Have Branded Deputy Gov Hamzat “Hero”

Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has earned a new appellation in top-level Lagos politics.

He has been branded the “hero” of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s near-ouster from office.

The Governor recently secured respite from a crippling political friction with President Bola Tinubu, which was underscored by a public snub at the official commissioning of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Insiders disclosed that the situation could have escalated further between Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu, but for the stance of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.

Sources revealed that the Deputy Governor not only refrained from working against the Governor but also actively sued for peace, urging President Tinubu to let calm prevail.

Hamzat—whom Sanwo-Olu described on his 60th birthday as a “trusted, committed and dedicated partner,” as well as “a genius, team player, and brilliant administrator”—reportedly mobilized peacemakers to initiate reconciliation, rather than position himself for the gubernatorial seat.

“He was very selfless about the whole matter. He refused to take advantage of the situation, despite being the potential chief beneficiary if the friction had led to Sanwo-Olu’s removal,” insiders said and added “But he stuck to his Omoluabi ethos—the highest form of good behavior—and did all he could to galvanize support toward reconciliation between Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu, rather than scheme his way into the number one seat in Lagos State.”

Many political watchers find this highly instructive, especially considering Hamzat was once a gubernatorial aspirant himself—one with a far richer political pedigree and more governance experience than Sanwo-Olu—before stepping aside during the process that produced Sanwo-Olu as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2019 governorship election.

Sanwo-Olu will leave office in 2027 after serving two terms (eight years), with Hamzat as his Deputy Governor.