I got a call from Ajala. Ajala is the immediate past Chairman of Odiolowo Local Government in Lagos
Are u the Duke of Shomolu, and I said yes o, and he said, just to let you know that incoming HE Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat will be calling you in a bit
Then another call came – I am the Head of Media at Shomolu Local Government; HE will be calling you, so be on standby
I guess it’s the protocol when Excellency wants to call cos that is exactly how Ambode and SANWO-OLU’s people used to do it before they call
You know it will look one kind if you don’t pick Excellency’s call or you drop the phone on him thinking it’s a prank call
Anyways, In my dealings with Lagos State people, I have never met, spoken to, or engaged with him or his office
I used to see him from afar and marvel at how he would be standing beside Mr Gov in every picture without having the urge to rebel like his colleagues, the deputy Governors all over the place
So when I sat with my brother Tokunbo Wahab the other day, and HE called, I seized the opportunity to ask him one or two questions
Wahab didn’t waste time to endorse him. Ohhh, he is a likeable fella, very intelligent and smart. Edgar, you will like him, he enthused
Is that The Duke? The voice rang through. Yes, Your Excellency, I hope you are fine.
I had written a very critical article on his position on the rent crisis in Lagos
He had been taken to task on his position, and I could see that he was slightly irritated by it all as he carefully tried to mask his irritation
Duke, did you watch the whole interview? People don’t read; they are no longer discerning, and that is why there is so much miscommunication
It was a conversation about how it goes in Turkey… And from there, he took his time to explain his position, which, according to him, the public didn’t get
We agreed to meet physically to better discuss not only this issue but others, including his plans for Lagos
I wasn’t holding my breath for the meeting, though
In the middle of a busy campaign season, with all the meetings and noise that goes with it?
Sunday, I called as agreed, and he sent a text – Duke, as soon as I get my schedule, we will meet.
Monday afternoon, he sent a text: let’s meet at 2.30pm
He walked into the campaign office with a retinue of aides and campaign officials.
He shook my hand and ushered me into his expansive office
I showed him the Maddtimes power list Coffee table book, and he went through it and said the list must be ‘subjective ‘, and we laughed
Discussions were deep and rich. From his patience, having seen through Ambode, two terms of SANWO-OLU, to his iconic father, who was Commissioner of Transport under Jakande, under which the famous Lagos Metro was conceived
He mentioned how his father engaged Buhari at merger meetings with the CPC cos that one had scuttled the Metro with his Coup
He was at ease; he laughed and didn’t come across as someone in the thick of a serious campaign
He talked about Youths, his passion for them, the work the LESTF was doing, his desire to turn Lagos into a huge Human Capital factory for the world
I like him-no airs, no self-importance, exuding the common flair, brilliant and engaging
He sha loves to talk. He talked and talked and talked and talked, but made a lot of sense in the talk
We stood up like three times to go, and each time, we would shake and start another round of talk
Then I asked him what he would tell Tinubu today, if he saw him, about the economy, and he went into another round, but this time on subsidy. He talked about a kind of partial subsidy tied to tankers leaving the gantry, as against the past where we were paying for ghost ships.
Then we landed with Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and he mentioned that his name Obafemi was taken from the great sage
He also told us how his father once took him as a boy to meet the sage, and he asked him some questions, and the sage said…
Don’t let your driver’s kids be your kids’ drivers in response to his passion for education
He also remembered Awos prediction in 1962 that our generation will suffer with the kinds of people that are being thrown into leadership, and that is exactly what is happening
Then I asked him his thoughts on Peter Obi, and his response threw up a huge irony, and I just smiled
Please don’t ask me his response; na my data. I won’t talk, but just take it that it made me laugh
Obafemi Hamzat, in my estimation, has been one of the most brilliant technocrats that have come out of the famous Lagos conveyor belt of Leadership
Lagos has always known how to pick their best brains and thrust them into leadership
From Tinubu himself, through Fashola, then Ambode- my personal best, to SANWO-OLU, you begin to see heavy profiles and a direct link to performance
Hamzat is looking like the latest in this continued winning streak, as his calmness, depth, rich understanding of the challenges of the mega city, clear understanding of the inner workings of his party and its nuances place him in a strong position to not only emerge but also lead very credibly
Does he have my support then?
What do you think?
Don’t you just feel like beating me right now 😀
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: September 16, 2026
