Dr Samuel Mawuyon Ajose, a governorship aspirant in Lagos State ahead of the 2027 election, has distanced himself from a widely circulated press statement alleging that he endorsed Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the All Progressives Congress, APC, consensus candidate.
In a formal disclaimer, Ajose rejected the claim, describing the publication as false, unauthorised and misleading.
He stressed that he neither issued nor approved any statement backing Hamzat’s alleged endorsement by the party’s Governance Advisory Council, GAC.
“My attention has been drawn to the circulation of a false and unauthorised press release in the Nigerian media, purporting to convey my endorsement of Dr Hamzat as the Lagos State governorship candidate of our party, and my support for the decisions of the state’s GAC, a process in which I played no part,” Ajose stated.
He further maintained that the document did not originate from him or his campaign, describing it as a deliberate attempt to misrepresent his position.
“This publication is fictitious, unsanctioned and malicious in intent. It does not reflect my position, my campaign’s stance, or that of any individual authorised to speak on my behalf,” he added.
Ajose called on members of the public, particularly his supporters and Lagos residents, to disregard the content, warning that it was designed to distort public perception and influence political narratives.
The aspirant also cautioned media platforms responsible for disseminating the statement, demanding an immediate retraction and removal of the material within 12 hours.
He warned that failure to comply would attract legal consequences, including actions for defamation and electoral damage.
“This is a defamatory and potentially criminal instrument intended to damage my reputation, and I will take all necessary legal steps to address it,” he said.
