Lagos State governorship aspirant Samuel Ajose has withdrawn from the 2027 race and declared support for Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election.
Mr Ajose announced his decision on Tuesday while addressing supporters in Lagos.
According to him, the decision was made after reflection and in the interest of unity within the party.
“I know it is a very tough decision. I still struggled with it overnight too. But when I woke up in the morning, I had my peace,” he said.
Ajose said he decided to support Deputy Governor Hamzat because he believed it would benefit party members and stakeholders.
“In the interest of the party, I, Dr Samuel Mawuyon Ajose, have decided that I will let go. I will support Dr Hamzat, and we are going to be part of his campaign, and we are going to take a very important position in his campaign,” he added.
He also said his focus remained on ensuring that people benefited from the political process regardless of who eventually became governor.
Samuel Ajose’s withdrawal comes weeks after former Lagos governorship candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, also stepped down from the race and endorsed Hamzat.
Jandor had said his decision followed the endorsement of Hamzat by President Bola Tinubu and APC leaders in Lagos State.
“Following the endorsement of Dr Kadiri Hamzat by our leader, the President of Nigeria, and leaders of our party in Lagos, and in recognition of the prevailing realities within the political landscape of our great party, I have decided to withdraw from the 2027 Lagos State gubernatorial race,” Jandor had said.
