Political permutations are, as usual, taking center stage as preparations for the 2027 governorship elections get underway.
Following President Bola Tinubu’s order requiring political appointees with aspirations for elected seats to retire by March 31 at the latest, events in Lagos State are progressively gaining steam.
With observers and party insiders speculating on potential zoning arrangements and likely candidates for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket, the instruction has increased political tension, discussions, and permutations throughout the state.
Political commentators believe that the governorship ticket being assigned to the Lagos East senatorial district may be supported by the party’s changing dynamics.
Some well-known politicians from the area have been compelled by the development to participate in early talks over the party’s ticket.
Akinwunmi Ambode, a former governor of Lagos State; Adetokunbo Abiru, a senator from Lagos East; Tunji Alausa, the minister of state for health; and Jimi Benson, a member of the House of Representatives, are among those who are often brought up in political circles.
Femi Gbajabiamila, a lawyer and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Hakeem Muri Okunola, a lawyer and President Tinubu’s principal secretary, are also being made fun of.
There are signs that the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, may play a significant role in the developing political permutations, despite party sources maintaining that consultations are still ongoing and that the party leadership has not yet made any official pronouncement on zoning.
There are rumors that he would serve as the Senate representative for Lagos West under a calculated power-sharing deal inside the party.
Lagos West steps up its bid for the deputy governor position.
The deputy governorship post has also drawn attention, with political observers speculating that it would be zoned to Lagos West as part of a larger political balancing mechanism within the state.
Intense lobbying has been sparked by the prospect along that axis, especially in the Badagry division and other political blocs in the district, where players are reportedly seriously consulting to protect the zone’s second-place ranking in the state.
According to party insiders, leaders and political stakeholders from the zone have increased their behind-the-scenes interactions within the APC structures, claiming that the state’s largest and most politically expansive senatorial district should have more representation in the top executive leadership.
Major party blocs within the APC, such as the powerful Justice Forum and the Mandate political structures, which have both traditionally been crucial to the rise of deputy governors in the state, have reportedly become involved in the agitation.
Jumoke Oduwole, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment; Ramota Hassan-Ijaiye, the former chairman of Oriade Local Government; Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic Education; Prince Lanre Sanusi, the chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government; and Ayodele Adewale, also known as “Lord Mayor,” the former chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government.
Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adeniran and Samuel Ajose, better known as SMA, are also referenced in the political discussions.
Prince Wale Oluwa, a technocrat whose name, according to party insiders, has been gaining traction in the ongoing consultations within the party, has also been the focus of political conversations within Lagos West’s Badagry division.
According to reports, the division’s stakeholders are stepping up their support for a candidate from the Badagry axis, claiming that the region has historically been crucial to the party’s electoral success and should be strategically taken into account in the new political landscape.
Adeniran and Ajose may also be considered for potential federal posts outside of the state, according to a different school of thinking within the political elite.
Factors that could influence the ultimate choices
The final selections for the gubernatorial and deputy governorship tickets are expected to be influenced by a number of variables, according to political observers.
These include the ongoing discussion about indigenous representation in the state’s political leadership, generational concerns, and religious balance.
From a religious perspective, it appears that certain interested parties are supporting a Muslim candidate to replace the current Christian governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Furthermore, according to political experts, the issue of indigenous representation has come up frequently in recent political discussions, with some Lagos political blocs calling for more indigenous people to hold important leadership roles.
Lagos East might yield the governor, Lagos Central the deputy governor, and Lagos West the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, according to another arrangement that is gaining traction in political circles.
Analysts concur that more political alignments and realignments are likely to occur in the upcoming months as candidates and their supporters step up their efforts to position themselves ahead of the APC’s final decision on zoning and candidate for the 2027 governorship race, as consultations continue across party structures and political camps.
Saraki denies that he intends to run for president in 2027.
