2027 Lagos Guber: Speculation Swells Around Seyi Tinubu’s Ambition

…APC Says President’s Son Hasn’t Communicated His Intention Yet

Lagos State, the commercial hub of Nigeria, boasts an impressive economic profile. In 2016, the Lagos Bureau of Statistics estimated the state’s GDP at N27.125tr. By May 2024, this had grown to N41tn. Lagos now ranks 7th in Africa in terms of GDP and contributes over 25 per cent of Nigeria’s total GDP. With a population exceeding 23 million, it is one of the largest cities in the world. Speculation is rife that Lagos could have its youngest civilian governor yet in 2027 if Seyi Tinubu, son of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, decides to contest.

In November 2024, a Middle Belt youth group endorsed Seyi for the governorship, urging him to build on his father’s legacy. The group described him as a detribalised Nigerian capable of managing Lagos’s diversity effectively.

“Who else will the people in Lagos support if Seyi Tinubu accepts to run for the highest office in Lagos State? Seyi knows no tribe, no religion and no gender. He believes in all people, irrespective of their tribe and religion. Those of us from the middle belt are mostly at a disadvantage in mixed-tribal states such as Lagos. With Seyi Tinubu in the saddle, there is no doubt that our interest will be protected,” the group stated.

Similarly, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL), a prominent youth body spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, also endorsed Seyi in November 2024.

In a statement, CONYL highlighted Seyi’s leadership potential and his capacity to consolidate the achievements of his father, who served as Lagos State governor before becoming president.

“Nigerian youths came to this conclusion because Lagos State has been a home for all Nigerians and who becomes the governor of the state is pivotal given the role the state has played since the inception of the country,” the statement read.

“Seyi Tinubu is gifted, qualified, experienced, well-read and capable to lead Lagos State to the promised land come 2027,” it added.

While endorsements continue to pour in from both local and international quarters, including figures like activist Martins Vincent Otse (popularly known as VeryDarkMan) and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Isaac Balami, Seyi has yet to declare his intention to contest. Speculation intensified after the impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa, the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, over allegations of misconduct. Sources claim Obasa’s removal was politically motivated to clear the path for Seyi.

Born on October 13, 1985, the young Tinubu is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. While his family’s political influence shaped his early exposure to leadership, Seyi has established himself as a successful businessman. He is the CEO of Loatsad Promomedia, an advertising company he founded in 2013. He studied law at the University of Buckingham, UK, earning an LLB in 2010.

If Seyi contests and wins in 2027, he will become the youngest civilian governor in Lagos’s history, younger than his father, Tinubu, who became governor at 47. Previous governors include Lateef Jakande (50), Michael Otedola (65), Babatunde Fashola (43), Akinwunmi Ambode (51), and the incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu (53).

Public Opinion Divided

Lagos residents have expressed mixed opinions about the prospect of Seyi’s candidacy.

Femi Fabunmi, a Lagos resident, voiced concerns about the concentration of power within one family.

“I will not (support him). What that means is that both father and son could hold critical positions in the country,” Fabunmi told THE WHISTLER.

He also questioned Seyi’s experience, suggesting he should first seek a lower political office to prove his competence.

“I believe Seyi is not experienced enough to hold a sensitive position. He should start from a lower position and let’s see what he can offer. Trying to pick it up from the governorship is not going to work.

“Moreso, his father is yet to impress. Why should I trust the son at this critical time,” Fabunmi added.

In contrast, Babajide Olaniran acknowledged Seyi’s constitutional right to contest but doubted his ability to meet the high standards set by previous Lagos governors.

“It is his inalienable right to contest but if you look at the work history of the governors we have had since 1999 and use it to benchmark what Seyi Tinubu will be offering, it will be tantamount to dropping the bar,” Olaniran stated.
“I am not sure Seyi Tinubu has intimidating credentials that can certify him ready for the arduous task of running a mega city like Lagos,” he added.

On his part, Olusola Adebayo, another resident, was non-committal, stating that his vote would depend on Seyi’s manifesto.

“Getting my vote won’t be automatic. I will check his manifesto and what he has for the state in terms of programs and projects in the interest of the state before I decide whether to vote for him or not.

“I will vote if he has the best of ideas and project/manifestoes and I won’t if I find other contestants better,” Adebayo said.

Ekene Egwuonwu strongly opposed Seyi’s candidacy, arguing that electing him would entrench a Tinubu family dynasty in Lagos politics.

“I will not vote for Seyi Tinubu because voting for him is supporting them to keep Lagos undeveloped, bearing in mind that they will turn Lagos into the family business and continue the reoccurring fatherism,” he told THE WHISTLER.

In November 2024, Joe Igbokwe, an APC chieftain, dismissed calls for Seyi to run for governorship as a distraction and an attempt to undermine President Tinubu.

He further argued that governing a state like Lagos requires significant experience.

“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos Governor? This is a needless distraction.

“To pull PBAT (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) down is their target. Please allow PBAT to do his very engaging and tasking job. Ruling Lagos is not the job of boys?” Igbokwe wrote in a Facebook post.

APC Responds

The APC spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, dismissed claims in some quarters suggesting that the removal of Obasa was orchestrated to pave the way for Seyi’s political ambitions.

Oladejo emphasized that the removal of Obasa was strictly an internal affair of the Lagos State House of Assembly and had no connection to the speculation about Obasa’s interest in the 2027 governorship race.

“That’s in the realm of speculation. There’s no immediate governorship election for now. So why will that be the reason? It’s simply the affair of the assembly members and that much they’ve put in the public domain. At our level, we should not be speculating or suggesting what the assembly members did not tell us happened,” Oladejo told THE WHISTLER.

Addressing the rising speculations, Oladejo clarified that Seyi has not declared any interest in running for governor.

“Even as we speak, I’m not aware of any formal release or formal communication from the camp of Seyi Tinubu declaring his interest in governorship (race). Yeah, there could be people here and there trying to prod him on—that’s normal in politics,” Oladejo said.

He further described the APC as a democratic party where every member has the freedom to aspire to any political position, adding that no member would be victimized for their ambitions as long as they adhered to the party’s rules and regulations.

“Our party is very democratic. Everyone is free to aspire to any office. You won’t find any politician that’s not ambitious,” he stated.

“So, it is legitimate for any bona fide member of the APC to want to run for any office, not just the governorship. And for that reason, nobody is going to be victimized for having ambition within the rules and regulations of the party,” Oladejo added.

Peculiar Democracy

A public affairs commentator and human rights activist, Debo Adeniran, described democracy in Africa as being practised peculiarly.

According to him, democracy in Lagos operates more like an oligarchy, where a few individuals make decisions on behalf of the majority.

Adeniran cited the example of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos. He emphasized the council’s immense power in determining key political outcomes.

“It (democracy) is more like an oligarchy,” Adeniran told THE WHISTLER. “Only very few determine the fortune and future of the generality of the people. In Lagos, we have what we call the GAC. We were told that they are the most powerful structure in Lagos politics and that they do and undo. That’s not democratic.”

Adeniran also criticized the impeachment of Obasa, stating that he was not given a fair hearing. He noted that just weeks before Obasa’s removal, his colleagues had passed a vote of confidence in him, raising suspicions about whether lawmakers were coerced into impeaching the former Speaker.

“What happened in the Lagos State House of Assembly is not really democratic. It doesn’t matter what could have taken place,” Adeniran remarked.

Addressing suggestions that Obasa’s impeachment was orchestrated to pave the way for Seyi’s governorship ambitions, Adeniran warned against actions that undermine fairness.

“It will be oppressive if the president actually has a hand in it (impeachment of Obasa). But I believe that the president is not vindictive; he’s not an autocrat,” he said.