Otedola backs Hamzat for 2027 Lagos governorship, recalls shared bunk bed

Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola, chairman of First HoldCo Plc, has publicly backed Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat for the 2027 governorship race. In a Monday post on X, Otedola recalled that he and Hamzat shared a bunk bed during their boarding school years 49 years ago. He referred to Hamzat as the incoming governor, a label that signals his support for the deputy governor’s political ambitions.

According to Punch and Premium Times, the endorsement followed a private dinner Otedola hosted for Hamzat. The gathering included prominent Nigerian businessmen, notably Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, and Abdul Samad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Group. Nairametrics noted that the event united several of Nigeria’s wealthiest figures as Hamzat moves to succeed the current governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whose second term concludes in 2027.

Otedola highlighted Hamzat’s personal qualities, noting that his long-term observation of the deputy governor has been shaped by the latter’s honesty, sincerity, fairness, and strong moral principles. While the billionaire emphasized their decades-long friendship, he did not name the specific boarding school they attended together. Premium Times reported that Otedola holds about 27.7 per cent of First HoldCo’s shares and has interests in financial services and oil and gas sectors.

Hamzat has held the deputy governor position since 2019. Before that role, he served in two state cabinet posts, overseeing science and technology, and later works and infrastructure, between 2005 and 2015. He became the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in May 2026 after winning the party’s primary. Punch reported that he received 657,917 votes, beating his rival Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal, who got one vote.

Nairametrics added that Hamzat has been the focus of other recent business events, including a dinner hosted by luxury real estate developer 7-Fifteen Capital in October 2026. That gathering, attended by around 150 business executives, centered on his plans for Lagos infrastructure and investment opportunities.