Obafemi Hamzat says Tinubu has stronger 2027 re-election chances than in 2023, citing his record and reduced religious tensions
Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate Obafemi Hamzat has said President Bola Tinubu has significantly better chances of securing re-election in 2027 than he did during the 2023 presidential election.
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Hamzat made the assessment during an appearance on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, 14 September 2026, while discussing Tinubu’s political prospects ahead of the 2027 elections.
The deputy governor argued that the political circumstances surrounding the 2023 presidential election have changed, giving voters an opportunity to assess Tinubu based on his performance since taking office.
According to Hamzat, concerns over religion and regional identity that affected Tinubu’s support in parts of the country during the 2023 election have become less significant.
He argued that Tinubu’s appointments and governing record have demonstrated that religion and ethnicity do not determine who receives important government positions.
“In 2023, we have at the national level, when the president won the primaries of our party, I think it’s a calculation of their own,” Hamzat said.
He explained that Tinubu’s Muslim faith and southern background had created concerns in parts of the South-South and South-East, where Christianity is predominant.
“So in the South, if you are a Muslim candidate as a president, you are a minority. So the challenge is, can you appeal minorities?” Hamzat said.
The deputy governor, however, said Tinubu’s conduct since assuming office had changed perceptions among some Nigerians.
“Our president is somebody that looks for credible people, that looks for intelligent people. He’s blinded to your ethnicity. He’s blinded to your religion,” Hamzat said.
Hamzat pointed to appointments made by Tinubu as evidence of what he described as an inclusive approach to governance.
He noted that some appointments had initially attracted criticism because of the religious identities of individuals selected for important positions, including the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank.
The Lagos deputy governor said the 2027 contest would also be different because Tinubu would be seeking re-election with an established record that his administration could defend.
“It’s the president. He has records that he can defend. And then, of course, the issue of religion, I think, has gone down. People see that we are all together,” he said.
Hamzat used Lagos as an example of how people from different religious backgrounds can work together despite their differences.
“I’m a candidate of the party. I’m a Muslim. But you see me going to churches. That is how Lagos is,” he said.
He also highlighted the work of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, where Christian and Muslim leaders meet to discuss issues affecting the state.
Hamzat recalled a disagreement over an autopsy-related policy, saying members of the Muslim community initially opposed the policy because of Islamic preferences concerning the prompt burial of deceased persons.
He said the disagreement was eventually addressed through dialogue involving Christian and Muslim representatives under NIREC.
“The Muslim community did not like that. We need to bury our dead immediately. But it was at NIREC that we sat down, Christian, Muslim, and said, okay, let’s look at it,” Hamzat said.
He argued that the Lagos experience demonstrated how dialogue could help manage religious differences and said the same principle should apply at the national level.
“So that is the way we should run our country. And that’s what the president has been doing. And I think a lot of Nigerians have seen that,” Hamzat said.
With the 2027 election approaching, Hamzat predicted that Tinubu would perform better than he did in 2023, particularly in Lagos, where the president previously served as governor.
“So I think the chances are far, far, far better,” Hamzat said.
Hamzat’s comments reflect the APC’s confidence ahead of the next presidential election, while opposition figures continue to challenge Tinubu’s administration and prepare for what is expected to be another closely watched national contest.
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Whether Tinubu can translate the confidence expressed by APC figures into broader voter support will ultimately depend on how Nigerians assess his administration’s record when they return to the polls in 2027.
