BY DAMOLA EMMANUEL
Former Lagos State Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Kadiri Hamzat, was, on Sunday, unveiled as the running mate to the gubernatorial standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2019 governorship vote, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Chairman of the party in Lagos State, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun formally presented Hamzat to the public during a press conference held at the party’s secretariat at Acme Road, Ogba, Lagos.
Among party big wigs that graced the official presentation were Sanwo-Olu, Mr. Sunny Ajose, state deputy chairman; Chief Kaoli Olusanya, vice chairman (Lagos East); Dr. Wale Ahmed, secretary; and Mr. Joe Igbokwe, Publicity Secretary.
“Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat are fantastic team that will bring development to Lagos and build a Lagos that everybody will be proud of if voted for during the 2019 governorship elections,” Balogun enthused after unveiling Hamzat.
“The highest decision making body of APC, the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, together with all the relevant stakeholders of APC in Lagos State have endorsed Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as the running mate to the candidate of APC in Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu,” he continued. “After the endorsement, it is important for me to publicly and officially present Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat as the running mate of our candidate, Sanwo-Olu, for the 2019 gubernatorial election in Lagos State.”
Responding, the standard bearer, Babajide Sanwo-Olu expressed his delight at the choice of Hamzat as his running mate, declaring: “Lagos will be better and enriched with the calibre of Hamzat being my running mate if elected.
“I am here to confirm that the party in consultation with me have decided to formally unveil and publicly present the candidacy of my running mate, Dr. Obafemi Kadiri Hamzat. Dr. Hamzat and I have been players in the same political matters for many years. We have been friends and brothers for close to two decades now. He is a man of deep intellectual knowledge. He is a man of high level of integrity. He is a man that I have worked closely with in different service.
“He is competent and I know he is somebody that I know very well and will help me and together, we will take Lagos to the level that we are promising; a level that will enhance all of us. He is a technocrat and politician who have also worked in the private and public sector. He is a gentleman that I personally respect a lot and dare say that Lagos will be better and enriched with the calibre of Dr. Hamzat being my running mate.”
Accepting his nomination, an expansive Hamzat said: “Lagos is dear to all of us. And if Nigeria will be great, which by God’s grace we will, Lagos must be great. And as such our party decided to look for a candidate like Mr. Sanwo-Olu, who has the experience, integrity and capability to run the affairs of this state. We are now a global village and what we do in Lagos affects everywhere in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
“So, I am very happy. I feel very happy and I feel a sense of responsibility that the party after sitting together, have selected me to be his running mate so that we can work together with our experiences. We have known each other for over 15 years professionally and personally. So, we have the chemistry and I dare say that we understand the geography of Lagos.
“Mr. Sanwo-Olu and I understand what it takes to cook what Lagosians will eat. So, we will display that very soon. The campaign will start and we will show Lagosians that we are a team with APC that can take Lagos to the next level. So, I am very happy and on behalf of myself and my family, I want to thank Mr. Sanwo-Olu and the party leaders for their decision to appoint me as the running mate.”
