As conversations around the 2027 Lagos governorship race begin to gather momentum, one figure steadily carving out strategic relevance is Samuel Mawuyon Ajose of Badagry. An avid Baptist, entrepreneur of scale, and recently affirmed Badagry Local Government National Delegate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajose represents a blend of boardroom influence and grassroots loyalty that positions him as a candidate to court in the unfolding political season.
For decades, Badagry has occupied a unique place in Lagos’ story, historically rich, commercially strategic, yet often described as the most marginalised of the state’s five divisions. From this coastal axis emerges Ajose’s ambition, not as a sectional protest, but as a calculated bid to widen the leadership conversation in Africa’s most commercially vibrant state.
His affirmation as APC National Delegate at the recent congress in Badagry is more than symbolic. Within party structures, delegate status reflects trust, credibility, and access to the engine room of political decision-making. It underscores his acceptance within the ruling establishment and strengthens his negotiating capital ahead of future primaries.
Yet Ajose’s appeal extends beyond party corridors. In business circles, he is widely regarded as a boardroom colossus with his fingers in many pies, a disciplined strategist whose entrepreneurial footprint cuts across multiple sectors. Sitting atop boards of thriving enterprises, he has cultivated influence, partnerships, and economic goodwill that stretch well beyond Lagos’ borders. Those who know him describe a man equally comfortable in high-level negotiations and in community engagements along the creeks and border towns of Badagry.
That dual identity, executive titan and grassroots mobiliser, forms the spine of his political proposition.
Across the Southwest, his towering billboards have become conversation pieces. From the ancient city of Ife to the sprawling urban heartland of Ibadan, and the upscale avenues of Ikoyi, Ajose’s visual presence is unmistakable. But contrary to speculation that they signal an early gubernatorial declaration, those billboards are primarily dedicated to promoting the second-term aspirations and policy continuity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In situating himself firmly within the President’s renewed mandate narrative, Ajose is projecting loyalty and ideological alignment. His efforts to amplify President Tinubu’s leadership across the Southwest signal more than admiration; they reflect strategic positioning within the APC’s broader architecture. In Lagos politics, visible commitment to party leadership often translates into credibility during succession conversations.
By championing the President’s second-term vision beyond Lagos – in Osun, Oyo, and elite corridors of the state, Ajose demonstrates a regional outlook that transcends local ambition. It is a move that strengthens his standing within party hierarchies while cultivating recognition among diverse constituencies.
However, beyond billboards and endorsements, a more structured mobilisation is quietly crystallising, the forthcoming SMA Movement.
Conceived as a coalition of allies drawn from the corporate world, grassroots organisations, professional networks, youth blocs, technocrats, and established political actors, the SMA Movement is designed not as a personal cult vehicle but as a strategic convergence platform. Insiders describe it as an ecosystem of influence – merging boardroom capacity, community trust, and institutional reach into a coordinated political architecture.
Still, billboards alone do not define political capital. What distinguishes Ajose’s approach is his deliberate coalition-building. Reports indicate ongoing consultations across Lagos’ five divisions: Badagry, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, and Epe – engaging stakeholders, youth blocs, traditional rulers, technocrats, and party elders. His style leans toward consensus rather than confrontation, structure rather than spectacle.
For many in Badagry, his potential candidacy carries emotional resonance. It symbolizes the possibility of deeper inclusion for a division long perceived as peripheral in state power dynamics. Yet Ajose appears cautious not to frame his aspiration through a narrow regional lens. Instead, his rhetoric emphasizes integration, positioning himself as a bridge between coastal economies, mainland commercial hubs, and island financial districts.
His entrepreneurial pedigree reinforces this integrative posture. In boardrooms, he has built coalitions that harmonize competing interests for sustainable growth. That same skill is indispensable in Lagos governance, where demographic diversity and economic complexity demand pragmatic leadership. Being a boardroom colossus with his fingers in many pies has afforded him relationships across finance, logistics, infrastructure, and community development, networks that often evolve into political alliances.
Observers note that Lagos increasingly requires a governor adept not only at politics but at economic stewardship. As a megacity rivaling entire nations in GDP scale, the state’s leadership demands executive competence, fiscal discipline, and strategic foresight. Ajose’s supporters argue that his private-sector accomplishments equip him with the tools necessary for such stewardship.
His faith background adds another dimension. As an avid Baptist, he projects values of integrity, discipline, and service – qualities that resonate within Lagos’ faith-driven communities. In a political climate where trust is frequently tested, this moral framing strengthens his public persona.
The path to 2027 remains complex and competitive. Lagos’ political terrain has never lacked formidable contenders, and internal party calculations will weigh loyalty, structure, electability, and balance. Yet Samuel Mawuyon Ajose appears to understand that enduring campaigns are built long before formal declarations.
By consolidating grassroots goodwill in Badagry, affirming institutional trust within the APC, championing President Tinubu’s second-term agenda across the Southwest, and leveraging his stature as a boardroom colossus with his fingers in many pies, Ajose is constructing more than a candidacy; he is shaping a coalition.
The path to 2027 is now unmistakably taking shape, and one reality stands out: the Badagry-born strategist has entered the arena with patience, structure, and an expanding network, qualities that firmly position him as a frontrunner and a governorship contender Lagos’ political class cannot afford to ignore.