Musiliu Obanikoro, former minister of state for defence, says his ambition to become the governor of Lagos is “completely off the table”.
Speaking in an interview on the “Mic On podcast” hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, a Channels Television journalist, Obanikoro said his current ambition is to mentor young Nigerians.
The former minister said he believes people like him should focus on mentoring the next generation, adding that young Nigerians must realise the country belongs to them.
“It is completely off the table (referring to governorship ambition). I’m 66, at this age we want to reflect more and do things that will properly help the coming generation,” Obanikoro said.
“Let me say this, particularly in Nigeria, there is a need for people to mentor the coming generation. The family structure has more or less collapsed.
“Our value system is in reverse gear. When you review all of that, the best people like us can do is mentor more.
“Let the coming generation be calm and patient. Whether we like it or not, they stand to inherit Nigeria.”
In 2007, Obanikoro contested the Lagos governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but lost to Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress (AC).
Ahead of the election, Obanikoro, who was then the senator representing Lagos central, defected from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the PDP.
He contested the governorship election against the political structure of Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos, under whose administration he had served as a commissioner. Tinubu governed Lagos from 1999 to 2007.
‘
During the interview, the presenter said some of Obanikoro’s supporters believed that he won the 2007 governorship election.
Responding, the former minister said he also believed that he won the election.
“I also believe that we won that election, but you know Nigeria, it is what it is,” Obanikoro said.
Asked if he regretted contesting the election against Tinubu’s political structure, Obanikoro said he did not.
The former minister said that, at the age of 47, his sole ambition was to become the governor of Lagos
“All I wanted to do was to achieve what I set my mind on. I was not even thinking about whether I’m fighting against my own family — the Bola Tinubu’s political structure,” he said.
“I just felt I wanted to be governor because at that time I was full of so many things in my mind.”
Obanikoro is now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was recently appointed as the director-general of the Obafemi Hamzat governorship campaign for the 2027 election.
