Musiliu Obanikoro Rules Out Lagos Governorship Bid

Former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro announced during an interview on the Mic On podcast that his ambition to become governor of Lagos is "completely off the table." Obanikoro stated that at 66, he intends to prioritize mentoring younger Nigerians, citing a collapse in the country's family structure and value system.

Despite his claims of retirement from governorship bids, reports indicate Obanikoro was recently appointed as the Director-General of the Obafemi Hamzat governorship campaign for the 2027 election. During the interview, he also asserted his belief that he actually won the 2007 Lagos governorship election, despite being officially declared the loser to Babatunde Fashola.

Obanikoro further analyzed the 2023 presidential election, attributing the loss of Lagos State by President Bola Tinubu to the All Progressives Congress' decision to run a Muslim-Muslim ticket rather than the candidacy of Peter Obi. He argued that voters feared such a presidency would marginalize Christians, though he defended Tinubu by noting his wife is a pastor and several cabinet members are Christians. This occurred despite Tinubu's national victory and subsequent inauguration on May 29, 2023.