Samuel Ajose, an APC chieftain and a governorship aspirant for Lagos State, withdraws from the party’s governorship race ahead of the APC primary election. In statements reported by multiple outlets, Ajose steps down from the contest and publicly declares his support for Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat. Vanguard reports that Ajose’s withdrawal is communicated in the lead-up to the APC primary, including via a video, in which he endorses Hamzat as his preferred choice for the party’s governorship ticket. The Punch similarly reports Ajose’s withdrawal and frames it as a full endorsement of Hamzat. Across the reports, both sources indicate that Ajose was seeking the APC governorship ticket for Lagos and that his withdrawal is directly linked to his decision to back Hamzat rather than continue in the race. The development takes place as the APC moves toward selecting its candidate through its internal primary process.