Lagos APC delays Seyi Tinubu bid to 2031 as party leaders push Akinwunmi Ambode forward for the 2027 governorship race
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State are working to delay Seyi Tinubu’s governorship ambition to 2031 and reposition former governor Akinwunmi Ambode for a possible return to office in the 2027 election, according to party sources in Lagos on 15 January 2026.
Also read:Â Ambode Denies Leaving APC Amid False Reports, Affirms Loyalty to Tinubu
The strategy is being coordinated by senior members of the party’s Governance Advisory Council, a powerful political body chaired by Prince Tajudeen Olusi and established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The move reflects growing concern within the party over internal divisions, zoning sensitivities and public perception ahead of what is expected to be a highly competitive governorship race.
Seyi Tinubu, 40, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been promoted by some youth and diaspora groups as a potential candidate, but has not formally declared interest in the contest.
Party insiders say the Lagos APC delays Seyi Tinubu bid to avoid distracting from President Tinubu’s expected 2027 re election campaign and to preserve party unity in the state.
An APC chieftain in Gbagada, Segun Badejo, said party leaders feared that an early declaration could weaken mobilisation efforts and provoke public backlash.
The chieftain said party strategists were concerned about the optics of a father serving as president while a son governed Lagos at the same time.
Babajide Sanwo Olu is due to complete his second and final term as governor in 2027, creating an open field that has already attracted several prominent aspirants.
Sources say Ambode is being considered as a stabilising figure who could complete a second term and reset internal party tensions following his removal from office in 2019.
Ambode, who hails from Epe, was denied the APC ticket in 2019 and replaced by Sanwo Olu after falling out with party leaders.
That decision has continued to generate resentment in Epe, where stakeholders argue that the district has been politically marginalised.
Community leaders from Epe are pressing the party to allow either Ambode or former health and education minister Tunji Alausa to succeed Sanwo Olu.
A senior APC stakeholder in Ikeja said the party viewed Ambode as having a stronger electoral base and broader acceptance across the state.
The Lagos APC delays Seyi Tinubu bid partly to give him time to build independent political capital ahead of a possible run in 2031, according to party strategists.
The 2027 field is already crowded, with figures such as Femi Gbajabiamila, Mudashiru Obasa, Tokunbo Abiru and Abdul Azeez Adediran, known as Jandor, being linked to the race.
Only Jandor has formally declared his intention to contest, saying Lagos needs a fresh vision that blends experience with innovation.
Public reaction has been mixed, with residents expressing both fatigue with political manoeuvring and hope for better governance.
Funke Adeyemi, a shop owner in Ikeja, said voters cared more about roads, jobs and security than party arrangements.
University student Chidera Nwosu said the next governor must listen to ordinary people rather than only party elders.
Political analyst Taiwo Akorede said the party faces a delicate balancing act between continuity, zoning and electoral viability.
Also read:Â Son of Osun APC Governorship Hopeful Backs Seyi Tinubu to Succeed Sanwo-Olu
As the countdown to 2027 continues, Lagos remains at the centre of one of Nigeria’s most consequential political calculations.
