The Human Rights Association (HRA) has expressed support for Dr. Kadri Obafemi
Hamzat as the preferred candidate for the 2027 Lagos State governorship, ahead of the All
Progressives Congress primary scheduled for May 2026.
The endorsement was contained in a statement issued by HRA Chairman, Saad Kassis-Mohamed, was grounded in a principled assessment of Dr. Hamzat’s
governance record and his demonstrated commitment to evidence-based, people-centred public administration in Nigeria’s most consequential state economy.
Dr. Hamzat has served as Deputy Governor of Lagos State since 2019, having previously held senior executive roles spanning infrastructure, science and technology.
His tenure has been characterised by a consistent focus on institutional capacity, urban development, and the delivery of services to ordinary Lagosians.
“The HRA views these qualities as aligned with the standards of governance that human rights principles demand of those who hold public office in states of Lagos’s scale and complexity.
“The endorsement does not reflect party affiliation. The HRA operates as an independent human rights body and takes no institutional position on electoral contests as a matter of course.
“In this instance, Chairman Kassis-Mohamed has chosen to speak in a personal capacity as a public advocate, given the significance of Lagos’s leadership transition to the welfare of millions of residents across the state.
“Lagos requires a governor who understands that infrastructure, economic access, and
civic dignity are not separate agendas. They are one agenda.
“Dr. Hamzat has demonstrated, over the course of two terms, that he grasps this. That is the basis of this endorsement,” Saad Kassis-Mohamed, Chairman, Human Rights Association, said in the statement.
HRA acknowledged that the Lagos governorship primary involves multiple aspirants and that
the final decision rests with party members and, ultimately, the Lagos electorate.
Thus, the endorsement is intended to contribute a human rights perspective to the public conversation around candidate selection, not to pre-empt or substitute for democratic processes.
Kassis-Mohamed further noted that the HRA will continue to monitor governance
outcomes in Lagos and across the region, and stands ready to engage constructively with any
administration that demonstrates a commitment to the rights and welfare of residents.
The Association also welcomes dialogue with all candidates and political formations on the human rights dimensions of urban governance, public health, labour protections, and civic participation.
The HRA’s work in West and Central Africa spans humanitarian intervention, labour rights advocacy, and formal engagement with international bodies including the United Nations. The
Association’s recent communications to UN Special Rapporteurs in the case of imprisoned
American athlete Jarred Shaw reflects its willingness to pursue all available legal and diplomatic avenues in defence of individual rights. The Lagos endorsement represents a complementary
expression of the same underlying commitment: that governance must be accountable to people before it is accountable to politics.
