By Ismail Omipidan
The musical phrase by the famous musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal that “Eda l’oun s’are, sebi final decision nbe lowo Olohun Oba…” (as mortals, we can run the race, but God, our Creator, has the final say) aptly situates the unfolding political journey of the incumbent Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, whose governorship aspiration, by Allah’s permission, may yet find expression in 2027 as he has been pencilled down as the consensus candidate of the APC for next year’s election.
It is often recalled that in 2002, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then Governor of Lagos State, attended a function in the United States. At the event, he noticed a well-dressed Nigerian who gave a good account of himself. Asiwaju reportedly approached the young man and greeted him in Hausa, ‘Ina Kwana’. He assumed he was a northerner because of his name. However, Hamzat replied that he is Yoruba. When asked which state he was from, he said Lagos State. Tinubu then asked if he was related to Pa Hamzat, and he responded that he was his third son.
Impressed, Tinubu was said to have urged him to return to Nigeria, insisting that there were opportunities to contribute meaningfully in Lagos. He reportedly contacted his father, who initially preferred that his son remain in the United States, but Tinubu insisted on his return. Upon his return, a Ministry of Science and Technology was carved out of the Ministry of Education, and Dr. Hamzat became the pioneer commissioner of that ministry. The rest, as they say, is history.
Brilliant, firm, humane, focused, and deeply religious, Hamzat’s knowledge of Lagos politics and governance is legendary. As a matter of fact, in 2015, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu supported his governorship aspiration and reportedly positioned himself to serve as his Chief of Staff if he had emerged, despite belonging to different political tendencies. Sanwo-Olu is aligned with the Mandate Group, while Hamzat belongs to the Justice Forum. In the end, Hamzat lost out in the primary but did not attempt to rock the boat. He remained patient, waited another four years, and revived his governorship ambition. This time, he and Sanwo-Olu found themselves on opposing sides. However, he later stepped down and threw his weight behind Sanwo-Olu.
On the day Hamzat was unveiled as the running mate to Sanwo-Olu before political reporters in Lagos, I asked Sanwo-Olu how he intended to manage potential friction, given that two strong minds were coming together to serve Lagosians. Sanwo-Olu assured us there was nothing to worry about.
And on Sunday, November 4, 2018, the Lagos APC officially presented Hamzat as his running-mate for the 2019 governorship election.
At the event, the then state Chairman of APC, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun said ”Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat are a fantastic team that will bring development to Lagos and build a Lagos that everybody will be proud of if voted for during the 2019 governorship elections.” And truly, they have in these last seven years gave a good account of themselves.
On his part, Sanwo-Olu, on the occasion said: “Lagos will be better and enriched with the caliber of Hamzat being my running mate if elected. I am here to confirm that the party in consultation with me have decided to formally unveil and publicly present the candidacy of my running mate, Dr. Obafemi Kadiri Hamzat.
”Dr. Hamzat and I have been players in the same political matters for many years. We have been friends and brothers for close to two decades now. He is a man of deep intellectual knowledge. He is a man of high level of integrity. He is a man that I have worked closely with in different service.
“He is competent and he is somebody that I know very well and will help me and together, we will take Lagos to the level that we are promising; a level that will enhance all of us. He is a technocrat and politician who have also worked in the private and public sector. He is a gentleman that I personally respect a lot and dare say that Lagos will be better and enriched with the caliber of Dr. Hamzat being my running mate.”
Hamzat on his part said “Lagos is dear to all of us. And if Nigeria will be great, which by God’s grace we will; Lagos must be great. And as such our party decided to look for a candidate like Mr. Sanwo-Olu, who has the experience, integrity and capability to run the affairs of this state. We are now a global village and what we do in Lagos affect everywhere in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
“So, I am very happy. I feel very happy and I feel a sense of responsibility that the party after sitting together, have selected me to be his running mate so that we can work together with our experiences. We have known each other for over 15 years professionally and personally. So, we have the chemistry and I dare say that we understand the geography of Lagos.
“Mr. Sanwo-Olu and I understand what it takes to cook what Lagosians will eat. So, we will display that very soon. The campaign will start and we will show Lagosians that we are a team with APC that can take Lagos to the next level. So, I am very happy and on behalf of myself and my family, I want to thank Mr. Sanwo-Olu and the party leaders for their decision to appoint me as the running mate.”
And truly, they cooked “good meals” for Lagosians in the last seven years. Also, in these last seven years I did not hear of any major quarell or disagreement between them. The only divergent view I noticed them held had to do with how to handle decisively the issue of protecting the Lagos heritage, its culture and people. While Sanwo-Olu appears gentle in handling the matter, Hamzat thought it should have been handled more decisively.
Congratulations to you, Dr. Hamzat as you embark on this journey that Allah has destined for you to make. If all things go as planned by His Grace, you will be making history as the first deputy governor in Lagos State and indeed the entire South West to succeed a governor at the completion of two terms of 8 years.
One of the lessons to be learnt in Hamzat’s case is that sometimes, when you are hurt and there seems to be no way out, choose patience, for Allah is indeed with the patient. As you begin this journey, I pray Allah wraps you in His divine safety, strengthen your heart with unwavering faith, and guide your steps away from danger and deceit.
Let no evil approach you, no harm touch you , and no injustice prevail against you. I pray Allah sends His angels to watch over you , and grant you wisdom to navigate the murky waters of Lagos politics with courage and clarity. Aameen, Ya Rabb-al-‘Alameen.
Congratulations, your Excellency, sir!
Omipidan, an Abuja-based journalist, is an associate member of NIPR, an author and a public affairs analyst.
