RismadarVoice Reporters
October 1, 2026
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged residents to support President Bola Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 presidential election and back Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat to succeed him as governor of Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu made the call on Thursday during activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.
The governor openly declared his support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (PC, as he urged residents to participate peacefully in the 2027 elections.
Sanwo-Olu said he was asking Lagos residents to re-elect Tinubu for another four-year term and support Hamzat as his successor to ensure continuity of ongoing programmes and projects in the state.
The governor also used the Independence Day address to reflect on Nigeria’s 66 years as an independent nation, highlighting the country’s experience through the civil war, military rule, economic challenges and political transitions.
He described Lagos as central to Nigeria’s independence history and noted that the country had maintained uninterrupted constitutional democracy since 1999.
Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the pressure of the cost of living on households, particularly the prices of food and transportation, while expressing hope that ongoing economic reforms would eventually improve living conditions.
President Tinubu, in his own Independence Day address on Thursday, said reducing the cost of living was now a central priority of his administration, with the government seeking to lower the cost of producing and transporting goods and services.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted his administration’s investments in transportation, healthcare, education, roads and digital governance, including the Blue and Red rail lines.
He credited Lagos residents with contributing to the state’s development through taxes, civic participation and feedback, while saying his administration would focus during its remaining period in office on strengthening institutions capable of functioning beyond individual office holders.
Turning again to the 2027 elections, Sanwo-Olu urged residents to support APC candidates while conducting themselves peacefully throughout the electoral process.
He also called on Nigerians, particularly young people, to protect the country’s unity and contribute to its development.
The Independence Day ceremony featured a parade involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Legion and other participating organisations, alongside schoolchildren and government officials.
Nigeria attained independence on October 1, 1960, making Thursday the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
