Headline

Lagos 2027: Who Would Tinubu Choose?

Published

3 weeks ago

March 29, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The atmosphere in Lagos State even as the campaigning season and the 2027 Governorship election draw closer, is nothing in the neighborhood of tense or expectation among the electorate as the aspirants have little or no need of the acceptance of the masses to solidify their aspirations or acceptance. Everyone, who harbors the ambition to be the landlord of Alausa and replace Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027, only has one duty, and that is to impress President Bola Tinubu, who has lord it over the state since the return to democracy in 1999.

The Boss investigation reveals that not a few of Lagos politicians are interested in occupying the Lagos House, home of the Governor, come 2027 as loyalist permutations rather than flashback to communal achievements continue to dominate the frontline.

Among aspirants, whose body language or unspoken gesculations have hinted their intentions to take over the administration of Lagos State in 2027 include but not limited to the present Deputy Governor, Femi Hamzat, immediate past Governor of Lagos, Akinwumi Ambode, Education Minister, Tunji Alausa, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, and Muri Okunola.

But as usual, someone, who is not initially seen as the frontrunner, is capable of securing the ticket because the power of decision lies with one, who has come to be known as the be all and end all of Lagos politics, and presently, the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party.

It is believed that Tinubu has been solely instrumental to the nomination of all the governors, most especially, and another political office holders that have occupied rulership positions in the state since 1999. And that posit the question as 2027 approaches; who would Tinubu choose?

Stakeholders have reasoned that nomination or outright selection of the governorship candidate of Tinubu’s party, who, from precedence, has always gone ahead to become the Governor of the state, is largely not on the strength of their political sagacity, not on the strength of their political and career achievements, neither is it on the strength of their impetuousity.

Accordingly, observers have said based on reccurent events in the last almost three decades, the selection is based on the strenght of the aspirant’s docility and weak resistance; on the strength of their blind loyalty to the ultimate kingmaker, and not forgetting on the strength of the whims and caprice of Bola Tinubu.

Everything basically resolves on who Tinubu chooses, and so the question again; who would Tinubu choose?

FEMI HAMZAT

Dr Femi Hamzat

The president Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Hamzat, was born into a politics-oriented family, and that explains his political sagacity, which may be a threat to the kingmaker(s)

His parents were Late Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat and Late Alhaja Kehinde Hamzat from Iga Egbe, Lagos State. His father served as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and as a Commissioner for Transportation in the state (1979–1983) before becoming the Vice-chairman (South West) of then Alliance for Democracy (AD). He became the Lagos West Senatorial District leader of the Action Congress and a crowned king through his maternal royal lineage.

Hamzat is rooted in grass-roots politics, and missed becoming the anointed candidate in 2015 when Ambode was unceremoniously chosen. He was also sidelined in 2023 when Sanwo-Olu took over, but many believe his time is now if Tinubu will consider his patience. Hamzat will be 62 in September.

AKINWUMI AMBODE

Ambode is the immediate past governor of Lagos State, whose tenure ended after his first four years, having fallen out of favour with the proverbial kingmaker, Tinubu. It was believed that the rejection Ambode suffered in the hands of party stalwarts was at the instance of now President Tinubu. He overwhelmingly lost at the primaries to Sanwo-Olu, who was practically ‘anointed’ to replace him.

A career civil servant, who rose to become the state’s accountant-General, Ambode, presented 62, was chosen to replace Tunde Fashola in 2015. It was rumored that Ambode ‘deviated’ from the ‘yes sir’ programme, and dared to be his own boss, initiate his own programmes and run the state as he and his cabinet deem fit. That was not acceptable to the powers that be, and Ambode never made it to the ballot paper in 2015

Though he eventually supported Sanwo-Olu’s campaign, after he was humbled, and brought about a smooth transition in the state, Ambode was kept at arms length in Lagos politics thereafter. But in retrospect, he has found his way back to the good books of Tinubu, and a lot of people are believing he may be given an opportunity to be at the helm of affairs again for another four years to conclude a supposedly unconcluded tenure. Ambode, however, is Christian just as the outgoing governor. But things of that nature doesn’t matter to Tinubu, when he wishes to made a decision.

MURI OKUNOLA

The 54 years Hakeem Muri Okunola, popularly known as HMO, is one aspirant, whom everyone believe is probably the anointed one for the governorship position come 2027.

Of privileged heritage in Lagos, being the first son of the late respected Justice Muritala Okunola, HMO is a trained lawyer, public administrator, technocrat and currently the Principal Secretary to President Bola Tinubu. He also served as the 22nd Lagos State Head of Service, a service he joined in 2001.

It would be proper to say that HMO has served and expressed loyalty to Tinubu for the better of his life. Between 2003 2005, he was personal assistant to Tinubu, until he was appointed as Executive Secretary to the Governor, Land Use and Allocation Committee. Afterwards, he was promoted to the position of Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Public Service in 2011.

A reputed family man, HMO is seen as the closest person to Tinubu in official relationship, maybe after Femi Gbajabiamila, who is presently the Chief of Staff to the President.

TOKUNBO ABIRU

A seasoned banker, who is currently representing Lagos East Senatorial district in the Senate since 2020, Abiru has served as Commissioner for Finance, where he is touted as having performed creditably.

Abiru is also a member of the Lagos HOMs Committee, which is in charge of the Lagos State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (HOMs) instituted to reduce the housing deficit in the state.

He was named the chairman, Senate Committee on Banking of the 10th Senate on 8 August 2023.

Abiru was privileged to be to go to the Senate in 2020 following expressed permission granted by Tinubu. It is hoped that his luck may shine again as the drums of 2027 beat.

TUNJI ALAUSA

Alausa is trained medical doctor, who presently heads Nigeria’s Education Ministry – a position, he assumed in 2024. He was previously the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare before Tahir was dismissed, creating a vacancy in the Ministry of Education.

Little is known of Alausa until he was invited to serve in the administration of Bola Tinubu.

Many has criticised Alausa’s policies since he assumed the office of senior minister in Education, but those can be overlooked if Tinubu stretch his radar his way.

Like many of the privileged ones, Alausa is also is also in his 60s, and will turn 61 in April.

FEMI GBAJABIAMILA

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila is presently the Chief of Staff to the President – a privileged office. He is assumed to be the closest person to the President by virtue of his office.

Gbajabiamila was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003, representing the Surulere I constituency of Lagos State, and was consistently re-elected and served for six consecutive terms before he was invited by Tinubu to be his CoS, spending a total of 20 years in the Green Chamber.

Everyone, who knows Tinubu is aware that he can sprung a surprise any time. He chooses is his exclusive preserve, close to his chest and may come as a shock, when eventually announced.

So, who would Tinubu choose?

Headline

Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in Appeal over Nullified PDP Convention

Published

4 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Eric

The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment in the appeal filed by the Taminu Turaki-led group of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to overturn the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which nullified the conduct of the party’s national convention, held last year in Ibadan, Oyo State.

A five-member panel of the apex court announced on Wednesday that its judgment would be delivered on a date to be communicated to all parties in the appeal.

Justice Garba Mohammed, who led the five-member panel, made the announcement shortly after lawyers representing parties in the appeal adopted their processes as briefs of their arguments for and against the appeal.

The appeal was filed by the Turaki-led group’s national executives of the party who emerged from the convention.

They had approached the apex court to challenge the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had nullified the convention for being held in disobedience of a valid order of the court.

While adopting their brief of argument filed on April 2, the appellants, through their team of lawyers led by Paul Erokoro (SAN), urged the Supreme Court not only to allow their appeal but also to dismiss a cross-appeal lodged against them by a leadership group in the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Meanwhile, Lamido, who was represented by J. C. Njikonye (SAN), as well as the Wike-backed group represented by Joseph Daudu (SAN), filed preliminary objections seeking dismissal of the appeal.

The respondents insisted that, contrary to the contention by the Turaki-led group, the appeal did not fall within the sphere of the PDP’s internal affairs.

It was the respondents’ position that both the high court and the appellate court had rightly exercised jurisdiction over the matter.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a judgment last year, restrained the then-Ambassador Iliya Damagum-led National Executive Committee of the PDP from proceeding with the convention slated for November 15 and 16, 2026, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Justice Lifu had ordered that the convention should not hold until an aspirant to the office of national chairman, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, is allowed to purchase interest and nomination forms to enable him to participate in the convention for the election of national officers.

The party, however, went ahead to conduct the convention in disregard of the orders of the court.

The PDP had predicated its action to conduct the convention on the grounds that the court lacked the jurisdiction to stop the convention, as the issue brought before it was an internal matter of the PDP, which no court has jurisdiction to delve into.

However, the appellate court in its judgment last month disagreed that the issue at the trial court was an internal affair of a political party, which courts cannot entertain.

The three-member panel of the appellate court subsequently nullified the outcome of the convention for being held in disobedience to the orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Dissatisfied, the PDP approached the apex court, praying it to accept the appeal against the lower court judgment, set the judgment aside, and hold that the issue was an internal matter of the PDP, which both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain.

However, the respondents in the appeal urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lack of merit and hold otherwise.

Headline

LP: Nenadi Usman Floors Julius Abure at Appeal Court

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Eric

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by Julius Abure challenging the legitimacy of the Nenadi Usman-led leadership of the Labour Party (LP).

A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a Tuesday judgment, unanimously affirmed the January 21 judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which upheld the legitimacy of the 29-member caretaker committee of the LP, led by Senator Usman.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, which Justices Abba Mohammed and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike agreed with, the appellate court held that the earlier Supreme Court judgment conclusively settled the leadership dispute within the LP by nullifying the convention that purportedly returned Abure as National Chairman.

Justice Lifu had, in the January 21 judgment, relied on an April 4, 2025, decision of the Supreme Court, which held that Abure’s tenure as the party’s National Chairman had expired. The judgment directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Senator Usman and other members of her committee as the legitimate leaders of the party, to the exclusion of all others.

The court further held that the lower court had the power under Section 251 of the Constitution to compel a statutory Federal government agency to perform its functions when it ordered INEC to recognize Senator Nenadi Usman as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

It was equally agreed with the trial court that constituting the LP’s caretaker committee, headed by Usman, was a doctrine of necessity required to provide leadership in the party when a vacuum appeared to exist.

The court faulted Abure’s claim that the trial court denied him a fair hearing and accused him of abusing the court process.

The court also accused Abure of forum shopping by appearing before the Nasarawa State High Court in a case already decided by the Supreme Court, and of persisting in the claim the party’s leadership despite the apex court’s clear and unambiguous pronouncement.

It held that the appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/255/2026, was devoid of merit and constituted an abuse of court process.

“On the whole, I agree with the decision and conclusion of the trial court as the same, being in accordance with the Constitution,” Justice Oyewumi held, adding that the lower court reached a reasonable conclusion that the Court of Appeal cannot fault.

While dismissing the appeal, the court awarded him costs of N10 million for wasting the court’s time on an issue that had already been conclusively determined.

Earlier, the court held that Nenadi Usman, as a juristic person, had the right to file the case before the trial court, and that the trial court had jurisdiction to hear and determine the case.

The court also rejected Abure’s allegation that the lower court denied him a fair hearing, noting that the claim lacked any basis.

Headline

Tinubu Sacks Edun, Appoints Oyedele As Finance Minister

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor cabinet reshuffle in the membership of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

According to a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, two cabinet members, Mr. Wale Edun and Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa are to leave the cabinet while their replacements have been named.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, on Tuesday evening, said Edun, until the latest development, was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy.

“He has been directed to hand over to Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, who is now to take over as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Oyedele was formerly a Minister of State in the ministry.

“Also Mr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma (PhD.) has been named as the ministerial nominee and minister-designate for the Housing and Urban Development Ministry,” Odunuga stated.

The memo also directed Dangiwa to hand over to the Minister of State in the ministry pending Darma’s confirmation.

The memo stated that “all handing over and taking over processes should be completed on or before close of business on Thursday 23rd April, 2026.”

Explaining the President’s decision, Odunuga quoted Akume as saying: “These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

He said the President, in approving the cabinet reshuffle, has fully exercised his powers as conferred on him by Sections 147 and 148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).

The President thanked the outgoing ministers for their services to the nation while wishing them the best in all their future endeavours.

The President, Akume noted, equally assured all cabinet members that “the process of reinvigoration shall be continuous.”