Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, as a loyal and reliable accomplice, saying his dedication to governance makes him the fitting individual to proceed the state’s management.
Sanwo-Olu made the remarks in a submit on X, the place he recounted how Hamzat stepped other than his governorship ambition in 2018 to assist his emergence because the All Progressives Congress candidate.
The governor stated Hamzat had spent 13 years in public service below former Lagos governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola earlier than occasion leaders requested him to withdraw from the race.
According to Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat accepted the choice with out resentment and agreed to run alongside him 5 weeks later.
He stated, “It takes a rare man to put down what he wants without nursing a grudge. Femi shook my hand and five weeks later, agreed to run beside me. I have never forgotten that.”
Sanwo-Olu stated his seven-year working relationship with Hamzat had demonstrated the deputy governor’s loyalty, dedication and capability to work as a part of a group.
He added that their partnership had remained constant by main challenges and infrastructure initiatives, together with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue and Red rail traces and the opening of the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
The governor stated Hamzat had additionally contributed to essential selections on main initiatives lengthy earlier than their official commissioning.
Sanwo-Olu described his deputy as an distinctive public servant who had fulfilled his promise to be the very best deputy governor in Lagos historical past.
“In many states, deputies are kept in reserve. On day one, Femi promised to be the best deputy governor in Lagos history. He kept his word,” he stated.
The governor added that their administration had maintained a united entrance all through its tenure.
“In seven years, there has not been a single day I wondered whose side he was on. We have had one government, one direction, and one voice.”
Sanwo-Olu additionally defended the Lagos political succession association, saying the state had maintained continuity in governance by successive administrations since 1999.
He likened the method to a relay race, the place runners should preserve their pace and work collectively earlier than passing the baton.
“Lagos runs on a relay system. The baton is never passed to a runner standing still. You run at full speed inside the exchange zone, together, before the pass,” he stated.
The governor cited Hamzat’s expertise in infrastructure improvement and public administration, noting that he constructed the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge below former governor Babatunde Fashola and contributed to the digitisation of presidency below Tinubu.
He additionally highlighted Hamzat’s engineering background and household connection to public service, saying his father served below former governor Lateef Jakande.
Responding to criticism that Lagos continues to pick its leaders from the identical political circle, Sanwo-Olu stated the state develops its personal management by expertise and continuity.
He argued that the state’s ongoing initiatives and long-term improvement plans made continuity necessary.
“With major projects underway and a master plan stretching to 2052, this is not the time to experiment,” he stated.
Sanwo-Olu added that Hamzat’s imaginative and prescient was not primarily based on marketing campaign guarantees however on the continuation of labor already underway within the state.
“What Femi presents today is not a campaign promise cooked up on a bus, it is the next leg of a race we have been running since 1999,” he stated.
The governor concluded by urging Lagos residents to assist Hamzat’s management ambition, describing him as a candidate already conversant in the state’s governance and improvement priorities.
“Lagos does not hand the baton to a man standing still. Today, you have seen the man who is already running. Let us move forward together with The Lagos PROMISE.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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