The Lagos governorship race ahead of the 2027 general election took a new turn on Saturday as businessman and politician Lanre Jim-Kamal formally declared his intention to contest the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket.
Jim-Kamal made his declaration in Ikeja before party leaders, supporters and political stakeholders, just days ahead of the APC primary nomination deadline slated for May 21, a development already generating fresh political realignments within the party’s Lagos structure.
He introduced a five-point agenda and a claimed $50 billion partners’ investment proposal for the state.
The aspirant anchored his campaign on what he described as a transformational development blueprint covering education, healthcare, infrastructure, urban restructuring and human capital development. He pledged what he termed “free automated education at all levels” and “free automated medical services,” alongside large-scale infrastructure expansion and economic rebalancing of the state.
He also proposed what he called “decongestion of concentric zones,” a spatial development strategy aimed at decentralising Lagos’ economic and residential pressure away from the city centre toward outer districts, particularly Badagry.
Jim-Kamal further claimed that investor partners had indicated readiness to back a rice cultivation project in Badagry, saying the initiative would ensure that Lagos begins local rice production within two years of his administration if elected.
On social welfare, he outlined direct monthly stipends, including ₦100,000 for unemployed youths between the ages of 18 and 29, and ₦150,000 for residents aged 60 and above, to be administered through local government registration and employment linkage systems.
He said the youth support programme would be tied to a placement structure developed in partnership with private sector operators in Lagos, while describing his agenda as “policy-driven rather than political promises.”
Jim-Kamal also aligned himself with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms, describing them as impactful for Lagos and the South-West, while insisting his aspiration was rooted in service to his community of origin in Isheri-Oke, now part of Ikosi-Isheri.
According to him, his entry into politics followed years in business leadership as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerturk Consortium Limited, Abuja, adding that he had reached a point where he was ready to commit “70 per cent of his focus to public service.”
He further raised concerns over what he described as the marginalisation of indigenous Awori communities, claiming they constitute a significant portion of local government areas in the state and deserve greater political inclusion.
On security, he proposed a state-wide controlled entry system, suggesting that Lagos should operate monitored access points at all entry and exit corridors to improve surveillance and public safety.
However, Jim-Kamal’s declaration comes at a politically sensitive moment within the Lagos APC, where the party’s Governance Advisory Council, the apex decision-making body, had previously endorsed Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the preferred successor in the state’s succession arrangement, setting up a potential contest between party consensus-building and emerging aspirants.
His entry is expected to intensify early lobbying and internal negotiations ahead of the primaries, as the party prepares for what is shaping up to be a closely watched succession battle in Nigeria’s commercial capital.