As the 2027 general election gains momentum in Lagos State, former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, is re-emerging in political calculations, with party power brokers reportedly working to defer Seyi Tinubu’s governorship bid until 2031.
The contest is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent history, with high-profile aspirants, emerging power blocs, and an increasingly vocal electorate weighing in on the state’s future leadership.
Seyi, the son of President Bola Tinubu, has been gaining traction as a potential candidate for the Lagos State governorship.
Youth and diaspora groups have been vocal in urging him to declare his interest in the race, with organisations like the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders, The Future Platform, and segments of Nigerian communities abroad lending their support to his candidacy.
However, despite these endorsements, Seyi Tinubu has neither officially declared his ambition nor received any public support from his father on the matter.
This has reportedly thrown the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) into a dilemma, as the state prepares for a new governor after Babajide Sanwo-Olu completes his second and constitutionally permitted term in 2027.
Insiders who spoke with Daily Post now suggest that the GAC, a powerful 30-member body led by Prince Tajudeen Olusi, is considering a return for Ambode to complete his second tenure.
This would create a pathway to defer Seyi Tinubu’s bid to 2031. Ambode, who fell out with Tinubu and the Lagos APC leaders ahead of the 2019 election, was denied the party’s ticket and lost the primary to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who subsequently won the governorship election.
A source close to the GAC revealed that the party leadership is considering allowing Ambode to return and complete his second term to maintain party continuity and ensure a smoother transition for Seyi Tinubu in 2031.
Party Leadership Advises Seyi Tinubu To Wait
Although Seyi Tinubu had shown early interest in the governorship race, political leaders reportedly advised him to keep a low profile and focus on supporting his father’s second-term bid in 2023.
“The party leadership viewed his ambition as a potential distraction to his father’s second-term dream, given the growing opposition to the current government,” Segun Badejo, an APC chieftain in Gbagada, told Daily Post.
This advice is said to have led to the delay in Seyi Tinubu’s declaration, with a growing consensus within the GAC that 2031 would be a more strategic entry point for him to contest for the Lagos governorship.
There is also a rising discontent in the Epe district, where Ambode hails from. Stakeholders in Epe are reportedly upset over the circumstances surrounding Ambode’s ouster from office in 2019.
Notably, past governors of Lagos State, Tinubu, Fashola, and Sanwo-Olu, all hail from Lagos Island and have completed two terms in office. Ambode, the only governor from Epe, was denied a second term, prompting calls for Epe’s political inclusion.
Despite Tinubu later appointing Tunji Alausa of Epe to serve as Health Minister and, later, Education Minister, the people of Epe are demanding that the zone be allowed to complete its term with a native governor.
“Epe has been politically marginalised, and the people are adamant that either Alausa or Ambode should succeed Sanwo-Olu in 2027,” a senior APC stakeholder in Ogba, Ikeja, stated.
The sources indicate that the political power brokers’ decision is not meant to sideline Seyi Tinubu but rather to ensure that he has a more stable runway when he eventually enters the race in 2031.
“The party does not want a repeat of what happened in 2023 when the Labour Party defeated Tinubu in the state.
“Seyi needs to concentrate and mobilise the youth front for his father.
“Going for governorship would divide attention, and that would also lead to public outcry.
“You know Nigeria is a very funny country, they may not stand the father as a president and his son as a governor. Right now, the consensus is that Ambode or Alausa has a better chance of carrying the party in 2027,” the source added.
The 2027 field is already crowded in Lagos, with heavyweights including Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, the state assembly speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, Tokunbo Abiru, and Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, among others, being touted for the number one seat.
A community leader, who identified himself as Olumide Balogun, told Daily Post, “We have watched as other regions monopolised power. It’s time for the Epe people to be heard. Either Tunji Alausa or Ambode should be our next governor.”
An observer, Edafe Oghenebrume, warned that if the Lagos APC fails to field a governorship candidate from the Lagos West Senatorial District, it would be a disaster.
He warned, “If Lagos APC fails to field a governorship candidate from Lagos West Senatorial district, there might be electoral challenges because since the emergence of democratic rule in 1999, West has been marginalized as regards the governorship seat.”
Meanwhile, only Jandor, a former PDP aspirant who defected to APC in October 2025, has publicly declared his ambition for the governorship.
“I believe Lagosians deserve a fresh vision, one that blends experience with innovation,” Jandor said in an interview with Channels Television.
“Having observed governance from both sides of the aisle, I am ready to offer solutions that reflect the people’s needs if I have a solid backing of Mr President and the party in Lagos State. It will be a walkover,” he added.