It is widely known that Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, father of Obafemi Hamzat, is the traditional ruler of Ewekoro, a town in Ogun, a neighbouring state to Lagos. He had always been a strong politician with a powerful political structure before he emerged a traditional ruler. Though Oba Akiolu did not mention Hamzat in the statement which was part of the speech he delivered at the event, the news soon spread across the state that the commissioner may not have the ticket or that he had much work to do before the primaries of the party.

•Hamzat

Oba Akiolu’s statement further threw up the debate of who, among the contending aspirants, was truly an indigene of Lagos. The intrigues got deeper. Loyalists of the various aspirants began to dig up what could have been secret if not for politics. Concerning indigenisation, aspirants like Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji of the state House of Assembly and Leke Pitan, a former commissioner for Health in Lagos, had no problem. Ikuforiji was born in Epe on 24 August, 1958 to the family of the late Chief and Mrs. Murtala Atanda Ikuforiji. He even attended primary and secondary schools in Epe, a town in the Lagos East senatorial district where, it is speculated, the party zoned the governorship seat for 2015. Also, Dr. Pitan was born on 14 January, 1956 into the Christian family of the Late Senior Evangelist David Ibikunle Pitan and Madam Solabomi Ojuolape Pitan in Agbowa–Ikosi, Epe.

However, Ambode, Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon, and a host of other aspirants had to do everything within their powers to convince the people that they are not just indigenes of Lagos, but that they are from Lagos East.

•Senator Ganiyu Solomon

Seemingly unperturbed by the punch against him, Hamzat insisted that he has a link with Epe even though his father is a traditional ruler somewhere else. His explanation was further boosted by retired Major-General Leo Segun Ajiborisha, the first military administrator of Osun State. Ajiborisha, a native of Epe, explained that Hamzat is from the same Ajiborisha family, which he said was well known in Epe and that those saying he is not from Epe should come out with their proof.

•Leke Pitan

Calling Hamzat his cousin, he said: “In politics, there are all kinds of campaigns of calumny going on among politicians. He who has alleged that Dr. Obafemi Hamzat or his father is not from Epe, should prove it. He that alleges must prove it. That is what our constitution says. My own great grandfather is Chief Aina Ajiborisha. His own father is the one that gave birth to all of them. His name is Ajiworo Ajiborisha. You should know that everybody in Lagos came from one place or the other except Akarigbere.”

•Ikuforiji

He continued: “The Akarigbere came with Oba Ado from Benin. But when they came to Lagos, they met some land owners, who are Idejos. We are talking about Elegushi, Oniru, Ojora, Ajiran, Ojomu and others. Because of trade, other people entered Lagos. Also, because of their spiritual prowess, they were summoned into the cabinet of Oba of Lagos. So, there was my great grandfather, Chief Aina Ajiborisha and then the great grandfather of Oba Olatunji Hamzat. They were in Lagos until the problem of King Kosoko started. They were serving King Kosoko very well. In fact, they were the spiritualists of King Kosoko. First of all, they moved to Badagry. They fought some wars in Ewekoro and its environs. They came back to Lagos. They wanted to enter through Ijebu-Ode to Epe. But they eventually entered through Lagos. Oba Olatunji Hamzat was born by Chief Soyeyinbo Hamzat Ajiborisha. One of his wives was called Mama Mobanke Ajiborisha.”

He said after Hamzat lost his father at age 12, he began living with one Chief Mufutau Badmus, a rich Muslim. “He sent Oba Olatunji Hamzat to Koranic School and registered him in Native Authority School. Chief Badmus decided to remove Ajiborisha from his name because as a devout Muslim, he could not send a child bearing Ajiborisha to school…That is how he stopped bearing Ajiborisha officially.

Ambode, few days after the public endorsement, was struck with a revelation that he is from the riverine area of Ondo State. But he and some notable people in Epe punctured this claim by his perceived enemies. They insisted that Ambode has his roots in the area. Oba Okunola Adesanya, the Oluilara of Ilara and one of the paramount rulers of Epe, who spoke on behalf of the Olu of Epe and other monarchs at the induction of Ambode and other prominent sons of Epe into the Epe Club, said apart from being a bona fide son of Epe, Ambode was the messiah that the people of the area had been waiting for to liberate them. Also, Lanre Rasaq, a former commissioner of Transportation in the state, said Ambode was a jewel for the Epe people, emphasising that as a son of Epe, Ambode touched lives as the accountant-general of the state.

Solomon also explained that he was related to Ikorodu, a part of the Lagos East.

Just few days after Ikuforiji formally declared his interest to run for the position of governor in 2015, 34 of his colleagues at the House reportedly met with Ambode and gave him their support. Hours before then, members of the National Assembly from Lagos State had endorsed Ambode, with Gbajabiamila describing him as a bridge builder.

Speaking for other National Assembly members who attended the meeting with Ambode including Abayomi Ayeola, Babatunde Adewale, Hakkem Muniru, Abiodun Faleke, Aliu Kazeem and Yakub Balogun, Rafeequat Onabamiro, Femi Gbajabiamila, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, Samuel Adejare, Adeola Solomon, Toyin Suarau, Jide Akinloye, Ganiyu Olukolu and Abayomi Ogunnusi, a statement signed by Gbajabiamila’s media aide, Olanrewaju Smart, said: “In a rigorous cross examination he (Ambode) also seized the opportunity to inform the Lagos federal lawmakers about his vision for the state. At the end of pre-primary election meeting, the legislators declared their support for Ambode. The governorship hopeful also promised to complement the giant stride of the incumbent governor, Babatunde Fashola he once served.”