Four candidates running for the 2027 Lagos State governorship election have proposed different solutions to the state’s problems of flooding, traffic congestion, housing and education. The promises range from technology-driven solutions to environmental problems and expansion of public transport to affordable homes and free education.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Funso Doherty and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Deji Doherty, yesterday presented their positions at a governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium in Lagos, reports Channels TV.
The debate was marked by differing views on the state’s development priorities, with opposition candidates condemning the APC government’s performance while Hamzat defended its policies and outlined promises to build more infrastructure and social services.
Flooding: Technology and Drainage and Environmental Management
Rhodes-Vivour blamed decades of terrible administration for some of the difficulties plaguing Lagos people and promised a technology-driven approach to environmental management if voted in.
The ADC candidate said his administration would focus on residents’ safety and build a cleaner environment through policies that would tackle flooding and enhance living conditions.
“We are all feeling the effects of the damage that has been done by bad governance that has been endemic in this state for the last 20 years,” he said.
“We want Lagos to be cleaner. We want a safer Lagos,” We want Lagos to be safer. “We want a Lagos that is more affordable, we want a Lagos that works for everyone and not just for the privileged few.
But Hamzat praised the existing drainage system in the state, calling its network “fantastic”.
The APC candidate said the focus should be to make sure the drainage systems are not blocked for water to flow into the creeks.
Traffic: The APC’s Plan for Multi-Modal Transportation
On traffic and transport, Hamzat said the APC government is planning to boost mobility by rail, road and water transport.
The state aims to carry one million passengers per day using 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, he said.
The deputy governor also announced plans to boost water transit via 77 electric ferries, suggesting that more commuters could be ferried via the state’s waterways.
Hamzat who was defending the government investment in rail transit claimed there is no part in Africa where a rail system has been sponsored by the private sector.
However, the ADC candidate argued traffic congestion should not be a way of life.
He said the enhancement of water transport and the availability for greater infrastructure should be normalised.
Housing 100,000 Units Mortgages Rent controls
Another area of competing interests was housing, with Rhodes-Vivour promising more than 100,000 housing units if elected.
The ADC candidate stated the units would be given to the residents, saying that past APC regimes had put the interest of the privileged above the needs of people in rural communities.
He decried the state’s focus on internally generated revenue (IGR), claiming that the revenue generated was not being felt by the population.
He remarked, “Lagos is celebrating a high IGR but people are not feeling it, my administration will be directing policies toward residents struggling with the cost of living.”
Hamzat, who stated that the state had built 24 housing estates in the last eight years, nevertheless, acknowledged the need to broaden access to excellent apartments.
He pledged to offer more mortgage facilities to citizens and complete ongoing housing projects in different sections of Lagos.
The APC candidate also promised to implement the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency Law which requires landlords to charge just one year rent instead of asking for several years’ payments.
The government would ensure compliance with the law to tackle unreasonable rent requests and make lodging more accessible, he said.
Education: NDC’s Doherty Promises ‘Truly Free’ Schooling
On education, Doherty made one of the clearest social policy promises in the discussion, promising to make education totally free in Lagos if elected in 2027.
The NDC candidate said his administration would focus on equipping the people with the education and the skills to improve their lives.
He said: “No child should be denied an education because their parents cannot afford the cost. “Free education must mean more than the abolition of tuition fees.
“Our policies are to empower the people, to give them skills, to make sure that no child is born in Lagos and does not get an education because his parents cannot afford it.
We stated we would make education really free, not nominally free. “Truly free for people not to pay exam fees. They won’t be asked to come and pay taxes at a time they are to write their exams,” Doherty stated.
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