A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdul-Azeez Adediran, has withdrawn from the Lagos State governorship race ahead of the 2027 elections.
Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, announced his withdrawal after the emergence of the state’s Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, as the ruling party’s consensus candidate.
“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.
“This decision is not borne out of weakness or a lack of capacity, but out of strength, discipline, and a deep respect for party cohesion and unity.
“Let me be unequivocal: I remain a loyal and committed member of the APC. I also reaffirm my unalloyed loyalty and respect for the President and national leader of our party, His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR.
“His leadership remains central to the stability and progress of our party and the nation at large,” he said.
Adediran disclosed that the decision followed consultations in Abuja, where President Tinubu and key party stakeholders endorsed Hamzat as the preferred candidate for the Lagos governorship contest.
“In line with this, I hereby fully align myself with the position and direction of Mr. President regarding the Lagos State gubernatorial process. Party supremacy and strategic alignment are critical to sustaining the gains we have collectively built over the years.
“To the Lagos4Lagos Movement, I extend my profound gratitude. This movement has never been about one individual; it has always been about a cause, equity, inclusion, and a better Lagos for all. That cause remains alive, and it must now find expression in our collective support for the party’s chosen direction,” he added.
Adediran, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election before defecting to the APC, has remained a prominent figure in Lagos politics through the Lagos4Lagos Movement.
His withdrawal signals a move by the APC leadership to avoid a contentious primary in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, where succession politics ahead of the end of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s tenure in 2027 has begun to take shape.
