Get Guardian on GoogleThe last governorship debate that brought the four main aspirants head-to-head in an exchange of ideas has left the electorate with clear choices and attendant consequences. It is either to sustain the old order and establishment or try something new despite uncertainties, KEHINDE OLATUNJI reports.
The issues featured prominently at the governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium, comprising five media organisations. The participants were the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC); and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Their submissions covered housing, waste management, flooding, transportation and accountability, but often lacked details on financing, implementation and measurable results.
On paper, it leaves voters with choices to make despite the consequences that may follow.
Continuity versus change
HAMZAT faced the task of defending the APC administration’s record while persuading voters that his leadership would address problems that have persisted under successive administrations led by his party.
After nearly eight years as deputy governor and in other senior government roles, he presented his familiarity with the machinery of government as a major advantage.
On waste management, he explained the state’s transition from refuse collection and disposal towards material recovery, citing the proposed facility at Olusosun. On housing, he referred to the Lagos State Tenancy Registration Agency Law (2025), arguing that enforcement, rather than another regulatory framework, was the priority. He also highlighted ongoing housing projects and efforts to simplify land-title processing.
Yet, the existence of laws, agencies and development programmes raises a difficult question for an incumbent administration’s candidate: why do residents continue to experience irregular refuse collection, unaffordable housing, excessive tenancy charges and other persistent problems?
Asked about challenging influential political figures over policy disagreements, he relied substantially on his academic and professional credentials rather than citing a specific instance. Experience in government is valuable, but it does not, by itself, establish political independence or readiness to confront entrenched interests.
The exchange over the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS incident at the Lekki tollgate was particularly significant. Hamzat acknowledged being present, describing the incident as a sad day for Lagos. He defended the judicial commission of inquiry established by the state government and maintained that the government had acted on recommendations within its powers.
Rhodes-Vivour challenged his account, recalling that he and Funso Doherty were tear-gassed when they attempted to lay flowers at the tollgate in remembrance of victims. Hamzat’s challenge is to demonstrate that continuity under his leadership would not mean preserving the shortcomings of the administration he has served.
Rhodes-Vivour advanced a different development philosophy, particularly on waste management, housing and environmental protection. He questioned the centralisation of refuse collection, arguing that local governments should play a greater role and that Lagos needed to move beyond depositing waste at dumpsites.
His emphasis on waste separation, recycling and waste-to-energy presented sanitation as an economic opportunity. However, decentralisation would require clear responsibilities for local councils, adequate financing, regulation of private operators and facilities to process different categories of waste.
On housing, he advocated protection against arbitrary rent increases, restrictions on excessive charges and financing arrangements to complete unoccupied buildings for temporary accommodation. But without a corresponding expansion of housing supply, rent controls could create further distortions in the market.
By drawing attention to wetland destruction, sand-filling and climate-responsive urban planning, he challenged the tendency to treat flooding principally as a drainage problem. Implementing these proposals, however, would require environmental mapping, stronger planning enforcement, substantial investment and cooperation with communities and developers.
Rhodes-Vivour also faced questions about his executive experience and capacity to manage Lagos’ bureaucracy and finances. His urban housing background provided relevant exposure but not necessarily experience in managing public institutions and competing interests. He must demonstrate that he can translate his criticism of the existing system into administrative readiness.
Accountability and political credibility
FUNSO Doherty emphasised institutional accountability. On waste management, he argued that long-term plans for recycling, waste-to-wealth, and waste-to-power should not be used as excuses for failing to collect daily refuse. Sophisticated processing, he said, must go alongside regular neighbourhood collection.
On housing, he advocated government-led social housing, arguing that the private sector alone could not resolve the accommodation crisis. He cited the programme of former governor Lateef Jakande as evidence that the government could play a more direct role in providing affordable homes.
Doherty also argued that flooding was linked not simply to inadequate drainage but to poor urban planning, wetland destruction and weak enforcement of environmental regulations. He questioned the environmental safeguards surrounding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, alleging that an environmental impact assessment was unavailable when a relevant due-process report was presented to the Bureau of Public Procurement. The allegation requires documentary verification and a response from the relevant authorities.
His political journey also attracted questions. Doherty dismissed allegations surrounding his emergence as the NDC candidate, insisting that he followed the appropriate process. He argued that political realignments were compatible with principled leadership in what he described as an increasingly hostile environment for opposition parties.
His social-housing proposal nevertheless requires clearer details on financing, land acquisition, construction costs, allocation criteria and the number of households expected to benefit.
Deji Doherty of the PDP relied substantially on his political experience, grassroots mobilisation and business background. He described his emergence as the party’s candidate as the product of 26 years of political engagement and identified the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as his national political leader.
Wike’s political association with President Bola Tinubu attracted attention. Although Deji Doherty maintained that the relationship did not undermine democratic competition, it raised questions about the independence of an opposition candidate whose influential ally belongs to the ruling political establishment.
He cited his business experience, saying he had operated a group of companies since 1986 and once owed banks N3.8bn before working his way out of the debt. His proposal for the government to rent houses directly from landlords and sublet them to residents at affordable rates, alongside promises of free education and tax relief for teachers and doctors, raised questions about financing and the state’s fiscal obligations.
Business and grassroots experience do not automatically translate into the ability to administer public institutions. He needs to explain how his proposals would be funded and sustained without creating additional public liabilities.
Stakeholders question debate’s scope
THE debate also raised questions about its quality, inclusiveness, and the opportunity it gave voters to assess alternatives.
A former Lagos PDP publicity secretary, Taofik Gani, rated the debate poorly for the quality demonstrated by the candidates.
The Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidate, Laja Adeoye, described the exercise as a sham and an arrangement allegedly designed to favour the APC. He questioned the selection of four from 17 candidates, adding that the three opposition participants failed to demonstrate sufficient understanding of Lagos or adequately scrutinise Hamzat’s record.
The Labour Party candidate, Rotimi Odunaike, also rejected the exclusion of other contestants, arguing that it denied them an opportunity to present their programmes and engage voters. Adeoye insisted that the APM deserved similar recognition and an opportunity to explain its proposals. He also complained about the organisers’ handling of his candidacy after receiving an invitation.
The Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Debo Adeniran, similarly faulted the limited participation. He questioned whether all parties had been contacted, arguing that prominence or financial strength should not determine participation.
Adeniran said smaller parties could field candidates with credible ideas and detailed development plans. He also observed that some participants offered policy blueprints, while others made vague proposals without explaining how they would be implemented. Candidates, he said, should study the Lagos master plan, identify deficiencies and improve existing programmes rather than promise to discard projects for political reasons.
Using the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge as an example, he warned that abandoning an existing project and replacing it with proposals for three new bridges could waste public resources, even though substantial planning and investment had already been committed. He added that proposals on transportation, rail and sanitation should be assessed against initiatives already contained in the state’s development plans.
The Chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Lanre Suraj, said one debate was insufficient to allow voters and stakeholders to scrutinise the candidates. Hamzat, he argued, must answer for the performance of the administration he has served, even while acknowledging that a deputy governor does not exercise the same executive authority as a governor.
Suraj also questioned whether the format and time allowed sufficient examination of the proposals. He called for further debates and town halls organised by media organisations, professional associations, community groups, youth organisations, artisans and groups representing people living with disabilities. Such forums, he said, would allow different constituencies to question candidates directly.
What Lagosians want
Beyond the controversy surrounding the debate, residents want practical answers to problems that shape their daily lives.
Businessman Adeyemi Abatan said none of the candidates provided sufficiently detailed and measurable commitments on the number of affordable housing units to be delivered annually, the resources required or the proportion of low-income households expected to benefit.
On sanitation, he said the candidates discussed decentralisation, material recovery and recycling but offered limited targets for daily refuse collection, processing capacity and reducing the volume of waste deposited at dumpsites.
He also observed that they did not adequately explain how they would protect vulnerable communities from flooding, enforce planning regulations, preserve wetlands or sanction officials who approve illegal developments.
Abatan said the proposals needed credible financial explanations. “Lagos has substantial revenue-generating capacity but faces competing demands for infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and social protection. Voters need to know where the money will come from, how much each programme will cost and what expenditure priorities may have to change,” he said.
A transporter, Sunday Omolewa, said Lagos residents needed to know how proposed transport improvements would reduce commuting time and costs. On healthcare and education, residents wanted accessible services and better outcomes, not merely new projects or broad promises. On housing, they expected a credible plan to increase supply and protect low-income tenants, while flooding and sanitation required reliable services, effective regulation and consequences for officials or operators who failed in their duties.
Adeniran also stressed the need for candidates to explain funding, project priorities, targets and how progress would be reported.
“Residents need clarity on proposed interventions. Public transport promises should identify routes, capacity, funding and expected reductions in journey times. Housing pledges should state the number and location of units, eligibility rules and how prices will remain affordable. Flood-control plans should identify vulnerable communities, drainage works, maintenance responsibilities and enforcement agencies,” he said.
He added that these were not technical details that could be postponed until after an election, as they would determine whether proposals were realistic and public spending produced visible benefits. Candidates, he said, should also explain how they intended to work with local councils, whose responsibilities were central to sanitation, primary healthcare and community services.
Gani added that accountability should extend beyond annual speeches and publicity about completed projects. Publicly available targets, periodic progress reports and accessible channels for complaints, he said, would enable voters to compare promises with performance. The next administration should also publish what it intended to complete, change and why.
He added that the debate exposed distinct strengths and weaknesses among the candidates.
“Hamzat has institutional experience but must explain how he will correct shortcomings in the administration he has served. Rhodes-Vivour offers an alternative development philosophy but needs to demonstrate administrative and financial readiness. Funso Doherty made a strong case for accountability and environmental responsibility but must provide clearer implementation frameworks. Deji Doherty must show how his business and political experience would translate into effective public administration,” he said.
Suraj said the ultimate test would not be the sophistication of campaign promises or performance on a debate platform, but whether the next governor could deliver affordable housing, reliable sanitation, safer communities, efficient transportation, accessible healthcare, better schools and accountable government.
The 2027 election demands more than competing visions. Candidates must demonstrate that they understand Lagos’ problems, have credible solutions and are prepared to be judged by measurable results.
