Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 Lagos State election Obafemi Hamzat has appointed former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro as the director-general of his campaign organisation.
Deputy Governor Hamzat announced the appointment during an expanded meeting of the campaign council held in Lagos.
According to a report by Arise Television, President Bola Tinubu endorsed Mr Obanikoro’s appointment during a recent meeting with APC officials and stakeholders in the state.
The president was reported to have expressed confidence in Obanikoro’s ability to coordinate the campaign, citing his experience in public service and his record in elective and appointive positions at both state and federal levels.
Obanikoro previously contested the Lagos governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has held several public offices.
He served as Lagos State commissioner for home affairs and culture in 1999 during President Tinubu’s tenure as governor. In 2003, he was elected senator representing Lagos Central and served one term before his appointment as Nigeria’s high commissioner to Ghana in May 2008.
In 2013, Obanikoro was appointed minister of state for defence. He was later redeployed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he served as minister of state.
The appointment comes months after Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu publicly backed Hamzat’s governorship ambition.
In April, Governor Sanwo-Olu endorsed his deputy for the 2027 governorship race, describing him as the “best man for the job.”
