A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Samuel Ajose, has withdrawn from the Lagos State governorship race and declared support for Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat ahead of the next governorship election.
Ajose made the announcement on Tuesday while addressing his supporters in Lagos, describing the decision as one reached after careful consideration and in the interest of party unity and collective progress.
According to him, stepping down from the race was not an easy decision, as he struggled with it before eventually arriving at what he described as a peaceful conclusion.
“I know it is a very tough decision. I still struggled with it overnight, too. But when I woke up in the morning, I had my peace,” he said.
Ajose explained that his focus remained on the broader interest of party members and the people, stressing that leadership should ensure that every stakeholder benefits irrespective of who emerges as candidate.
“Everything that everybody will benefit from, even if I won’t be the governor, you are still going to benefit because you have made sure that you took care of the interests of everybody. And I think that’s the best,” he added.
He formally announced his withdrawal from the race and pledged his support for Hamzat, while also committing to play an active role in the deputy governor’s campaign.
“In the interest of the party, I, Dr Samuel Mawuyon Ajose, have decided that I will let go. I will support Dr Hamzat, and we are going to be part of his campaign, and we are going to take a very important position in his campaign,” he said.
Ajose’s withdrawal follows a similar move by former Lagos governorship candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, who recently stepped down from the governorship contest and also endorsed Hamzat.
Jandor had explained that his decision came after the reported endorsement of Hamzat by Bola Tinubu and APC leaders in Lagos State.
He described his withdrawal as a sacrifice aimed at preserving unity and cohesion within the party while reaffirming his loyalty to the APC leadership structure.
