…Candidates clash over taxation, women’s inclusion, healthcare, housing, jobs
…Opposition demands accountability, improved services as APC defends reforms
…Hamzat promises 15 maternal centres, Rhodes-Vivour targets 1.5m jobs
With the February 6, 2027 governorship election approaching, six Lagos governorship candidates have unveiled competing blueprints to address the state’s infrastructure gaps, rising cost of living, unemployment, housing deficit and multiple taxation, while promising better healthcare, inclusive governance and improved public services for residents.
The candidates, who spoke on Friday at a BusinessDay town hall meeting in Lagos, also differed over women’s representation in government, healthcare financing, the role of the private sector and how to ensure that the state’s economic prosperity translates into improved living conditions for residents.
They are Obafemi Hamzat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Laja Adeoye of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Adedeji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwapemilerin Olurotimi Odunaike of the Labour Party (LP) and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Obafemi Hamzat
Hamzat said his ambition was to consolidate the development foundation already established in Lagos and extend its benefits to households and businesses, insisting that governing the state required experience, sound policy judgement and an integrated approach to development.
He said his manifesto, The Promise, was anchored on putting people first and ensuring that residents did not bear a disproportionate burden of the state’s economic growth.
The APC candidate promised to increase the number of Maternal and Child Centres from 10 to 15, while outlining plans to expand hospital capacity, including the addition of 500 beds in Ikeja and staff accommodation for 68 doctors and nurses.
Defending the administration’s healthcare investments, Hamzat, incumbent Lagos deputy governor said funding decisions must reflect the competing demands of education, roads, agriculture and other sectors rather than rely on arbitrary international spending benchmarks.
On taxation, he defended the ongoing reforms, saying his administration would work with local governments to harmonise collections, eliminate multiple taxation and publish an accessible schedule of approved levies.
He also promised a complaint centre where residents could report illegal demands by tax officials, with complaints addressed within 48 hours.
“A lot of what my brothers have said already exists. So there’s no need to reinvent the wheel,” he said.
On women’s inclusion, Hamzat maintained that appointments should be based on competence rather than quotas, disclosing that women accounted for 49% of the state’s 66 permanent secretaries.
Rhodes-Vivour
However, Rhodes-Vivour of the ADC, argued that Lagos had failed to translate its huge internally generated revenue into adequate water supply, security, affordable accommodation and functional inner roads.
The ADC candidate said the state needed a new governance model that prioritised its estimated 22 million residents rather than political godfathers and their associates.
He promised to create 1.5 million jobs within four years, with emphasis on small businesses, entrepreneurship and skilled labour, proposing N50 billion to support economic activities and employment.
He also advocated improved access to funding for small businesses and the establishment of a Small Business Ombudsman’s Office to reduce bureaucratic obstacles.
On taxation, Rhodes-Vivour argued that the social contract between government and taxpayers had broken down because residents continued to pay levies without receiving corresponding services.
He advocated formalising informal businesses through improved record-keeping, arguing that this would help traders access credit, housing, healthcare and other government benefits.
On women’s representation, he proposed redesigning markets and providing crèches and daycare centres to enable women to combine childcare with business activities. He also supported deliberate representation in political appointments, warning that decisions based solely on merit could conceal gender bias.
Laja Adeoye
Adeoye of the APM said he was seeking office to correct governance failures and ensure that Lagos’ economic resources translated into improved public services.
He identified electricity, waste management, land administration and affordable housing as major challenges, arguing that the state could not become a modern megacity without addressing basic infrastructure deficits.
Adeoye promised one million jobs within four years, including 500,000 in trade and commerce and 90,000 in construction, alongside opportunities in innovation, tourism and the creative industry.
He also proposed modernising markets, establishing five innovation districts and using construction projects to expand employment opportunities for young people.
On taxation, he proposed establishing a Lagos State Investment and Public-Private Partnership Agency to improve tax administration, identify businesses operating in the state and eliminate overlapping charges.
“Everybody doing business in Lagos, you must be captured. The tax that you are paying must be known, must be defined,” he said.
Adeoye rejected affirmative-action quotas for women, arguing that they should have equal opportunities to occupy leadership positions based on their abilities.
“For me, the 35% affirmative action is discriminatory. Women should be able to achieve anything that is achievable without saying we are giving them quota,” he said.
Adedeji Doherty
Similarly, Adedeji Doherty of the PDP said his ambition was driven by his commitment to the founding ideals of the party, which he has belonged to for 27 years.
He said his sixth attempt at securing the governorship ticket had finally succeeded, pledging to protect the dignity and human rights of Lagos residents irrespective of their ethnicity, colour, race or nationality.
“I want a free Lagos, and I want a Lagos where I can have the opportunity to put money into your pockets,” he said.
Doherty identified electricity supply as a major constraint to economic growth, arguing that government should create an enabling environment for private businesses rather than attempt to provide all jobs directly.
“Power is wealth. If there is no power, there cannot be jobs,” he said. The PDP candidate stressed that reliable electricity would enable young people to operate small businesses and expand employment opportunities.
He also called for reforms in education and pharmaceutical production, proposing partnerships with drug manufacturers to strengthen local production.
On taxation, the PDP candidate criticised multiple levies imposed on residents and businesses, arguing that government should explore alternative revenue sources instead of continually squeezing taxpayers.
He also highlighted the cumulative burden of charges on transport operators, warning that such costs ultimately increased the price of moving people and goods.
Doherty supported women’s empowerment, citing his female deputy governorship candidate, whom he described as an industrialist and educationist. He also proposed helping women acquire technological skills abroad, particularly in China and Japan, for transfer to Nigeria.
Olurotimi Odunaike
Meanwhile, Olurotimi Odunaike of the LP said his motivation was to create an enabling environment for businesses and equip young people with skills relevant to labour-market demands.
He proposed partnerships with employers to identify required skills and community-based vocational training programmes that would allow participants to earn while learning.
Citing a survey by his Our Lagos Foundation, he said between 40 and 50% of respondents expressed interest in agriculture-related skills.
He also proposed engaging trained young people in government-funded construction projects, particularly his planned delivery of 100,000 housing units.
On taxation, Odunaike advocated a social contract between government and residents, supported by a public portal showing how revenue was collected and spent.
He argued that informal-sector operators, particularly petty traders, were disproportionately burdened by taxes and needed a transparent system that recognised their earnings and obligations.
“The lady that is selling pure water, the percentage of her income that’s going to government is far more than most blue-collar or white-collar people in Lagos State,” he said.
The LP candidate also promised to harmonise taxes, digitise administration and support the formalisation of informal businesses to improve their access to credit and social benefits.
On women’s representation, he pledged that women would occupy at least 35% of cabinet positions and promised support for 100,000 women-led businesses through financing, digital skills and capacity-building programmes.
He also promised to modernise healthcare facilities, improve water supply, address flooding through better drainage and afforestation, and conduct annual audits of public expenditure.
“2027 is about the quality of life of Lagosians. We have brought practicality to you. You have a choice for the next four years,” he said.
Funso Doherty
On his part, Funso Doherty of the NDC said Lagos was operating below its potential because of ineffective leadership and poor implementation of policies.
He argued that the state’s major challenge was not necessarily inadequate resources but the failure to translate available revenue into quality public services.
Citing Lagos’ N4.4 trillion budget, up from N3.23 trillion in the previous year, he said the state’s revenue capacity should reflect more substantially in healthcare, education, housing and transportation.
On healthcare, Doherty advocated shifting attention from constructing new buildings to equipping existing facilities, improving medical workers’ welfare and ensuring that public hospitals delivered quality services.
He also proposed free drugs, diagnostic tests and surgeries for maternal and child healthcare to discourage residents from abandoning public hospitals.
On housing, the NDC candidate promised 150,000 affordable housing units within four years and improved access to mortgage financing through bonds.
He proposed establishing a dedicated office for small and medium-sized enterprises to simplify government processes and support business growth.
On taxation, Doherty said residents deserved essential services in return for their contributions.
“The people are playing their own part. The question is, what are they getting for it?” he asked.
He also questioned the involvement of private companies in revenue collection, particularly Alpha Beta’s relationship with the Lagos Internal Revenue Service, and called for greater transparency in tax administration.
On women’s inclusion, he supported deliberate representation at high decision-making levels, arguing that women brought different perspectives and capacities to governance.
The candidates’ submissions highlighted competing approaches to governing Lagos, with the APC defending its record and promising consolidation, while opposition parties called for a fundamental shift towards accountability, inclusive governance and improved public services.
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