The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Mushin and Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Saturday marked the 62nd birthday of Lagos State Deputy Governor and APC governorship candidate, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, with interfaith prayer sessions and a community support initiative valued at ₦50 million.
Hamzat, who was born on September 19, 1964, marked his 62nd birthday on Saturday. He is the APC candidate for the 2027 Lagos State governorship election.
Rather than a conventional birthday celebration, the Mushin and Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye APC leadership organised prayer sessions involving Muslim and Christian religious leaders at four worship centres across the communities.
The prayer sessions were held at Ilupeju Central Mosque, Ilupeju Road, Mushin; Ajumoni Central Mosque, Ajumoni Street, Mushin; Emmanuel African Church, Ijaye Street, off Ogunmokun Oloosha, Mushin; and African Church Bethlehem Parish, 24/25 Akano Street, opposite City View Event Centre, Ilasamaja, Mushin.
The delegation to the four locations was led by former Lagos West Senator, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, and included the Deputy Director-General of the Lagos State APC Campaign Council and Director of Contact and Mobilization, Hon. Rasaq Olushola Ajala; member representing Mushin Constituency I in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adeyemi Taofeek Alli; Executive Chairman of Mushin Local Government, Hon. Tunbosun Haruna Aruwe; the Oba of Odi-Olowo, His Royal Majesty Oba Sikirulahi Olamide Williams Apena I; Vice Chairman of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, Hon. Gbeminiyi Awodogan; Hon. Babatunde Kazeem; and Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Lekan Fatodu, among other party leaders and stakeholders.
The gathering combined prayers for the celebrant, his family, Lagos State and the country with appeals for peace and peaceful political participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during the exercise, Solomon said the decision to mark Hamzat’s birthday through prayers was intended to reflect the importance of seeking divine guidance and blessings.
He described the gathering as an opportunity for people of different faiths to come together in prayers for the celebrant and the state.
“We are here to celebrate our brother, leader and candidate, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, but beyond the celebration, we are here to pray. We want to commit his life, his family, Lagos State and the journey ahead into the hands of God,” Solomon said.
He appealed to religious leaders and members of their congregations to continue praying for peace, stability and progress in Lagos State.
Solomon also urged eligible voters to participate in the electoral process, saying voting remained a civic responsibility.
“It is your right to vote. Exercise your civic right and vote for all APC candidates,” he said.
He specifically called for support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Hamzat and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
The former senator further appealed to religious leaders to continue promoting peace and tolerance, stressing the importance of preserving the longstanding relationship between Muslims and Christians in the communities.
Ajala: ‘This Is a Time for Sober Reflection’
Also speaking, Ajala explained that the decision to hold prayer sessions instead of a conventional birthday party was deliberate.
According to him, the responsibilities ahead made it necessary for party leaders and supporters to seek divine direction.
“This is not the right time for merrymaking. What we need now is sober reflection and to seek divine blessings for the enormous task ahead of us,” Ajala said.
He said Hamzat had not organised a conventional birthday celebration, adding that the prayer sessions were designed to commit the celebrant, his family, the party and the political journey ahead to God.
“We have come to the houses of God because we believe that every journey requires divine guidance. We are here to pray for Dr. Hamzat, his family, Lagos State and the assignment ahead,” he added.
Ajala also appealed to the religious leaders to continue encouraging peaceful participation in the democratic process.
“We appeal to our fathers and mothers in faith to continue to pray for peace and stability in Lagos. We also urge you to encourage members of your congregations to exercise their civic responsibilities when the time comes,” he said.
He added that the campaign would continue to engage communities and stakeholders across Lagos, with emphasis on peaceful mobilisation and participation.
₦50m Community Support
Beyond the prayer sessions, the birthday programme featured the distribution of cash and food items at the religious centres visited by the delegation.
According to the organisers, each of the four centres received ₦5 million, amounting to ₦20 million, in addition to bags of 10kg rice.
The organisers said further cash and food-item distributions linked to the birthday programme brought the total value of the reported support to ₦50 million.
The gesture was presented as a community support initiative intended to extend the birthday activities beyond political engagement and provide assistance to residents and members of the communities.
At each of the four locations, Muslim and Christian religious leaders offered prayers for Hamzat, his family, Lagos State and Nigeria.
The religious leaders expressed appreciation for the gesture and prayed for peace, stability and good governance, while encouraging continued peaceful participation in the democratic process.
The event came amid a series of public messages and activities marking Hamzat’s 62nd birthday across Lagos. His date of birth, September 19, 1964, is also listed by the APC and his campaign platform.