By Peter Dansu As the race toward the 2027 Lagos governorship gathers momentum, powerful figures within the Governance Advisory Council GAC...
By Peter Dansu
As the race toward the 2027 Lagos governorship gathers momentum, powerful figures within the Governance Advisory Council GAC are reportedly urging Seyi Tinubu to defer any ambition for the state’s top job, as moves to bring former governor Akinwunmi Ambode back into contention gain strength. At the same time, agitation from Lagos West is intensifying, with the Badagry Media Group openly demanding that the ancient city be considered for the governorship, setting the stage for a high stakes battle defined by zoning, legacy and political survival.
According to Daily Post, Multiple party sources confirmed that key power brokers within the All Progressives Congress APC are working behind the scenes to persuade Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to defer any governorship ambition until 2031. The move, insiders say, is aimed at stabilising the party, managing public sentiment and avoiding internal fractures ahead of a fiercely contested election.
The race is already shaping up as one of the most competitive in Lagos history, with influential blocs, seasoned politicians and vocal communities positioning themselves to determine who succeeds Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu, who will complete his constitutionally allowed second term by 2027.
Seyi Tinubu, 40, has in recent years attracted growing support from youth organisations and sections of the Nigerian diaspora, with groups such as the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders and The Future Platform publicly urging him to join the race. Despite the endorsements, he has neither declared his ambition nor received any public signal of backing from his father.
Sources say these endorsements unsettled members of the Governance Advisory Council GAC, the powerful political body established by President Tinubu in 1999 to guide succession and party stability in Lagos. Led by Prince Tajudeen Olusi, the GAC includes former governors, deputy governors, ex speakers of the House of Assembly, serving and former senators and respected party elders.
According to party insiders, the current thinking within the council is that Ambode should be allowed to return in 2027 to complete a second term, after which Seyi Tinubu would have a clearer path in 2031, coinciding with the expected end of President Tinubu’s tenure if re elected in 2027.
Ambode’s political misfortune in 2019, when he lost the APC ticket to Sanwo Olu after falling out with party leaders, remains a sore point, particularly in Epe, his home district. Stakeholders from the area have long complained that their zone was unfairly denied the chance to complete its tenure, a grievance that has continued to shape succession debates.
Administratively, Lagos is divided into five districts under the IBILE structure Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe. Notably, former governors Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola and Sanwo Olu all hail from Lagos Island and completed two terms, while Ambode remains the only governor denied a second chance.
Although Epe was later compensated with the appointment of Professor Tunji Alausa as Health Minister and subsequently Education Minister, community leaders insist that the district deserves to produce the next governor, the report says
An APC chieftain from Gbagada, Segun Badejo, said Seyi Tinubu was earlier advised to keep a low profile and focus on supporting his father’s second term bid.
“The party leadership felt his ambition could distract from his father’s re election, especially with the level of opposition we are seeing,” Badejo said.
According to Daily Post, another senior APC stakeholder in Ikeja, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the strategy was not to sideline Seyi Tinubu but to protect his political future.
“The party does not want a repeat of 2023, when the Labour Party defeated Tinubu in Lagos. Seyi needs time to build consensus. Nigerians may not accept a father as president and a son as governor at the same time. Right now, Ambode or Alausa has a better chance of carrying the party in 2027,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the 2027 field continues to widen, with names such as Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, former PDP governorship candidate Abdul Azeez Adediran Jandor and Badagry based business mogul, Samuel Mawuyon Ajose, being mentioned as potential contenders.
In Lagos West, pressure is also mounting for a power shift. Observers warn that failure to zone the governorship to the district could cost the APC dearly. In Badagry in particular, calls for inclusion have grown louder.
The Badagry Media Group BMG, a coalition of media professionals from the ancient city, has intensified its campaign, insisting that Badagry should be considered in 2027. The group argues that since the creation of Lagos State, Badagry remains the only division within IBILE that has never produced a governor. At Badagry Roundabout, a giant billboard sponsored by the group has been erected in support of the group's campaign for Badagry Lagos Governorship by 2027
A community leader, Olumide Balogun, echoed similar sentiments from Epe, insisting that the injustice of 2019 must be corrected.
“We have watched other regions take their turn. It is time for Epe to be heard. Either Ambode or Tunji Alausa should be our next governor,” he said.
As consultations deepen and ambitions quietly align, one thing is clear the road to 2027 in Lagos will be defined by tough choices, regional demands and delicate power balancing, with the final decision likely to shape the political future of the state for years to come.
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