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Lagos APC, GAC in dilemma over Seyi Tinubu’s rumoured 2027 guber ambition
Tensions are reportedly growing within the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its influential Governance Advisory Council, GAC, over the rumoured governorship ambition of Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
At just 39 years old, Seyi Tinubu is being tipped by several youths and diaspora groups as the next ideal candidate to lead Lagos State.
His endorsements from the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders, The Future Platform, and some Nigerian communities abroad have given wind to speculation that he may soon throw his hat into the governorship race.
Although he has yet to make a formal declaration, insiders say underground efforts to lobby for his candidacy are already in full gear.
If Seyi Tinubu, 39, emerges as governor in 2027, he would set a new record as the youngest person to lead Lagos State since its creation in 1967.
Currently, that record is held by Babatunde Fashola, who became governor at age 43 in 2007.
But far from being met with a resounding welcome, the development has placed the party and its leadership in a difficult position.
The GAC, a 30-man powerful and highly influential political organ founded by President Tinubu himself when he was governor in 1999, is reportedly divided over the prospect of Seyi emerging as the APC’s governorship flag bearer.
The group, headed by Prince Tajudeen Olusi, has 30 members, including ex-governors, ex-deputy governors, ex-speakers, former and incumbent senators as well as elder statesmen and women.
Since Tinubu’s exit as governor in 2007, the GAC has operated as the unseen hand behind Lagos’ political machinery, often deciding who gets what within the state’s structure.
It was instrumental in the emergence of former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode and later Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
However, the possibility of Seyi Tinubu stepping into the frame has raised questions about political dynasty, merit and the direction of the party in the country’s most strategic state.
It was observed that some stakeholders are worried that fielding Seyi, who lacks any track record of political office, could backfire, especially with Lagos being a politically sophisticated and economically complex state.
Critics argue that his only known role so far is as CEO of Loatsad Promomedia Ltd, an outdoor advertising firm.
For a state of over 20 million people and massive infrastructural needs, many within the APC question whether youthful energy alone is enough to handle such a task.
One senior party member from Oshodi-Isolo, described the move as “political arrogance.”
He suggested that it would send the wrong message for the president’s son to govern Lagos while his father seeks re-election in 2027.
“It would feel like dictatorship, not democracy. We risk alienating the electorate,” the source said.Others, however, strongly disagree.
They pointed to global and local political dynasties to support their argument.
A pro-Seyi supporter, Laken Agbaje, from Alimosho, cited examples like the Philippines, where Ferdinand Marcos Sr was president while his son served as governor and the United States, where George W. Bush governed Texas after his father, George H. W. Bush, served as president.
They also referenced the Saraki family of Kwara State, where both father and son held the governor’s seat at different times.
“Seyi is a constitutional Nigerian with political rights. If the people want him and the party clears him, why not?” the APC chieftain said, while noting that Seyi enjoys significant goodwill among Lagos youth and digital-savvy voters.
Following the growing push for Seyi Tinubu’s governorship candidacy, sources indicate that he is strategically positioning some of his loyalists to contest for key positions, including chairman roles, in the upcoming local government elections in Lagos State.
This move has sparked concern among residents, who have raised alarms over what they described as “undue interference” in the electoral process.
In the 2023 presidential election, President Bola Tinubu lost Lagos State to Peter Obi of the Labour Party, a development many interpreted as a warning sign of waning political dominance in his traditional stronghold.
This, observers believe, could be further compounded if Seyi Tinubu emerges as the APC governorship candidate, as such a move may deepen voter resentment and hinder the party’s chances of reclaiming broad support across the state.
Still, for many party loyalists, the issue is not only about political dynasty or competence, but fairness and equity.
Lagos State is divided into five administrative districts known as IBILE: Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe.
The last four governors of the state, including Tinubu, Fashola, Ambode and Sanwo-Olu, have hailed from Lagos Island and Epe.
In fact, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the first civil governor of the state also claimed to be a native of Lagos Island.
This leaves Ikorodu, Badagry and Ikeja without representation at the top.
The clamour for zoning has gained traction, with many party members arguing that it is high time the governorship seat rotated to other underrepresented districts, particularly Ikorodu or Badagry.
It was gathered that during a recent meeting in Epe, the issue of Seyi Tinubu’s potential governorship ambition came up among Lagos APC stakeholders.
However, the matter was quickly flagged and set aside, as Seyi has yet to officially declare his intentions to the party or its key stakeholders.
This has left many in the party uncertain about how to proceed, with some urging caution until Seyi formally makes his move.
However, it was learnt that a faction within the party is silently backing Babajimi Benson, a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Ikorodu Federal Constituency as the next governor of the state.Another top APC source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “The GAC and APC stakeholders are increasingly worried over Tinubu’s silence on the growing calls for his son’s governorship bid.“The lack of clarity is creating a sense of uncertainty within the party and many of us are unsure how to proceed without guidance from the president himself.”
President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ceremony followed the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment last week after a rigorous screening session on October 16.
At the swearing-in, President Tinubu tasked Amupitan with safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and strengthening INEC’s institutional capacity.
“As the chairman of INEC, your nomination and confirmation reflect the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and legislative arms of government. This marks the start of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust you will approach your duties with integrity, dedication, and patriotism,” Tinubu said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s democratic progress over 25 years, the President emphasized the need for continuous innovation and reform to maintain free, fair, and credible elections. He urged Amupitan to ensure transparency and public trust throughout the entire electoral process—from voter registration and campaigning to voting and counting.
Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), arrived at the State House on Thursday dressed in traditional white agbada and gold cap ahead of the formal ceremony. He was accompanied by presidential aides.
During his Senate screening, the 58-year-old nominee pledged to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process by prioritizing reforms, including strengthening the Electoral Act to resolve inconsistencies in election timelines and enhance transparency.
“We must conduct elections where even the loser congratulates the winner fairly,” Amupitan told senators, emphasizing the need to rebuild voter confidence.
He also clarified his neutrality by denying any involvement in President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, stating, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any party.”
Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the sixth substantive INEC chairman since the commission’s establishment. He is expected to immediately begin the transition process at INEC headquarters in Abuja following his swearing-in.
Profile
Born on April 25, 1967, the 58-year-old Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also an alumnus of the university.
He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.
After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988.
Amupitan earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.
He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).
Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).
Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013) and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
He is married and has four children.
Dangote Group has denied owning the truck that crushed a pregnant woman, a child, and six others to death in an accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The company issued the clarification in a statement on its X account on Wednesday.
The statement followed reports that a cement-laden truck suffered brake failure and rammed into traders and other road users.
Reacting, Dangote Group said the truck involved in the tragic incident does not belong to the group or any of its subsidiaries.
It added that vehicle registration records confirm the truck is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group.
“Dangote Group has refuted reports circulating on social media and in some online platforms linking it to a truck involved in a road accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
“The company wishes to make it categorically clear that the truck involved in the unfortunate incident does not belong to Dangote Group or any of its subsidiaries.
“Verified vehicle registration details confirm that the truck with Plate No. JJJ 365 XB is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group,” the statement reads.
News
VIDEO: Sowore Arrested at Federal High Court Premises, Abuja, After Meeting Nnamdi Kanu.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.
Police operatives have arrested former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Sowore was forcibly taken away by armed police officers from the Federal High Court premises in Abuja on Thursday, October 23, 2025, shortly after attending the court session of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, who has been leading campaigns for Kanu’s release, was confronted by security operatives who insisted he accompany them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the officers surrounded him moments after he exited the courtroom, refusing to disclose specific details about his alleged offence.
When questioned by onlookers, one of the policemen stated that they were acting on the directive of the FCT Commissioner of Police.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.
As of the time of filing this report, the reason for Sowore’s arrest and his current whereabouts remain unclear.
Credit: Punch
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