The desire to reach for the skies is ambitious; the desire to reach hearts is wise. And newly minted Lagos deputy governorship candidate for the ruling APC Obafemi Hamzat is nothing if not wise.
In a clime where politics is a do-or-die affair and the opposite of success is usually oblivion, only a man of deep wisdom and tactical acuity would willingly step down for a rival, yet that is exactly what Hamzat did when he bowed out of the Lagos governorship stage to smoothen the way for the eventual emergence of Jide Sanwo-Olu as the APC flagbearer in 2019.
Such grand gesture not only took the world by storm, it also carved for Hamzat a lofty place in Sanwo-Olu’s heart. It was no surprise then that the latter had only one choice when it came to selecting the person who would embark on the electoral journey with him.
And unlike other political decisions which have been causing rancour and the rise of party factions up and down the country, Hamzat’s emergence has been greeted with unanimous applause by all and sundry. He is regarded as a popular veteran of the political arena whose experience is the perfect complement for Sanwo-Olu who is seen as a political greenhorn in some quarters.
Hamzat is a man of indisputable pedigree having cut his teeth in government from far back in 2005 when he was appointed as the commissioner for science and technology under Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He continued his role into the tenure of Babatunde Fashola before becoming the commissioner for works and infrastructure.
During his tenure across the two ministries he initiated and completed numerous projects that gained him fame, awards and followership aplenty. Even sì, he remained an apostle of order and harmony and in every decision sought to put the people and his party first. Little wonder both party faithfuls and the higher ups gleefully rushed to rubber stamp his choice as deputy governorship candidate.
Like every other accolade that has come his way, Femi Hamzat is taking latest development in his stride. Not seeking to hug the limelight despite being the newest beautiful bride in town, he has vowed to keep his head down and work very hard to actualize the party’s dream of victory at the polls.