As preparations for the 2027 general election gather pace in Lagos State, former governor Akinwunmi Ambode is returning to political calculations amid moves within the ruling All Progressives Congress to delay any governorship bid by Seyi Tinubu until 2031.
Party insiders say the contest to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who will complete his second term in 2027, is shaping up as one of the most competitive in recent years. Several high-profile figures are being mentioned, while party leaders weigh zoning concerns, public mood and electoral risks.
Seyi Tinubu, 40, the son of President Bola Tinubu, has been promoted by some youth and diaspora groups as a possible candidate. Last year, groups including the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders and The Future Platform urged him to join the race, though he has not declared any ambition.
Sources say these calls placed the Governance Advisory Council, the APC’s top decision-making body in Lagos, in a difficult position. The council, formed by Tinubu in 1999, has played a decisive role in producing past governors, including Ambode and Sanwo-Olu.
According to party figures, the current thinking is to defer Seyi Tinubu’s governorship ambition to 2031, should President Tinubu secure a second term in 2027. The plan, they say, would allow Ambode to return and complete a second term, addressing long-standing grievances in Epe, his home district.
Ambode was denied a second term in 2019 after losing the APC ticket to Sanwo-Olu, a move that has continued to stir discontent in Epe. Stakeholders from the district argue that Epe remains the only zone yet to complete a full two-term governorship since 1999.
A senior APC source said the party wants to avoid internal strain and public backlash. “The concern is stability,” the source said. “There is also the reality of voter sentiment after the APC lost Lagos to the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.”
The 2027 field is already crowded, with figures such as Femi Gbajabiamila, Mudashiru Obasa, Tokunbo Abiru and Abdul-Azeez Adediran, known as Jandor, linked to the race. So far, only Jandor has formally declared his interest.
With zoning debates and succession politics intensifying, Lagos APC faces a delicate balancing act as it seeks to retain control of Nigeria’s commercial capital.
