President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has dismissed rumors of his alleged ambition to contest the Lagos State governorship election in 2027. An attempt to calm growing speculations and internal tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the future of Lagos politics.
Reports linking Gbajabiamila, Lagos State Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, and President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, to the governorship seat have fueled debates about power consolidation within the party. The brewing contest for Lagos State’s top job, following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s term, exposes deeper fractures and ambitions in the APC’s ranks.
Speaking at a Surulere APC assembly on Saturday, Gbajabiamila dismissed the speculations as an orchestrated smear campaign by unnamed detractors aiming to derail his career.
“Some people are saying he came back from America about 20 years ago. After spending three to four years, he became the principal officer to the Minority Whip, from there he became Minority Leader, then Majority Leader, and from Majority Leader, he became Speaker,” Gbajabiamila said, painting himself as a perpetual target of envy.
The former Speaker’s insisted on his lack of interest in the governorship, citing the demanding nature of his current role.
“They said, ‘If we sit and allow him to continue moving, he will return to Lagos to become governor.’ They think with the way I’m progressing, it’s time to quickly drag me down so I won’t have any standing in Lagos,” Gbajabiamila said, portraying himself as a victim of political sabotage rather than addressing the tensions within his party.
While Gbajabiamila claims, “It’s not yet time for governorship,” his rhetoric does little to dispel concerns over the APC’s internal struggles and the power dynamics at play in Lagos politics.
As the 2027 elections loom, Gbajabiamila’s denials may only serve to deepen the intrigue surrounding the APC’s power tussles, raising the stakes for a political showdown that could redefine Lagos’s leadership landscape.
