By Nehru Odeh
With the 2027 governorship election approaching, opposition candidates in Lagos State have outlined their visions for the state, promising enhancements in schooling, healthcare, housing, transportation, electrical energy and waste administration, whereas calling for larger accountability in governance.
The candidates spoke on Monday, October 12, at The Fela Debates, organised as half of actions marking this 12 months’s Felabration, the annual celebration of the life and legacy of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The occasion, themed Elections 2027: Who Are You Re?, introduced collectively political candidates, civil society advocates and residents to look at the problems shaping Lagos and the alternatives earlier than its voters.
The audio system included Yemi Adamokekun, an energetic citizen advocate and thought chief; Chief Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Funsho Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC); and Engr. Adedeji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Drawing inspiration from Fela’s music and political philosophy, the audio system addressed the challenges going through Lagos, with specific emphasis on the necessity to measure authorities efficiency by its influence on the lives of extraordinary residents quite than by infrastructure tasks or income figures alone.
Opening the dialogue, Yemi Adamokekun challenged the candidates to method governance via what she described as a framework of individuals, planet and prosperity, including a fourth consideration: penalties. She argued that political guarantees have to be evaluated by asking who advantages from authorities insurance policies, how they have an effect on the atmosphere, who pays for them and who’s held accountable when public officers fail to ship.
Adamokekun warned that Nigeria’s governance challenges had been compounded by a tradition wherein wrongdoing more and more attracted little disgrace or accountability. From politicians who misappropriate public funds to contractors who execute substandard tasks and public officers who evade duty, she argued that the nation’s situation mirrored the cumulative penalties of particular person and collective decisions. To change the system, she mentioned, residents should demand higher and make decisions that serve the broader public curiosity.
On city planning and social welfare, she questioned the standard of information accessible to information authorities insurance policies, citing the displacement of residents in Makoko and the vulnerability of youngsters dwelling on the streets. She famous that estimates of the quantity of individuals displaced by the Makoko demolitions diversified extensively, making it tough to find out the dimensions of the humanitarian problem. She additionally requested how the federal government might adequately shield susceptible youngsters if it didn’t know what number of there have been, the place they lived or what circumstances had introduced them onto the streets.
Turning to infrastructure and the atmosphere, Adamokekun raised issues about flooding, wetland reclamation, transportation and the efficiency of public tasks. She questioned the hole between the capability envisaged for Lagos’ Blue Line rail service and its reported passenger numbers, whereas lamenting the decline of the Bus Rapid Transit system. She additionally referred to as for larger accountability in highway upkeep, higher coordination of taxation and stronger civil service establishments. Candidates, she mentioned, ought to clarify not solely what they meant to perform but in addition who would bear the implications in the event that they failed. Her central message was that governance have to be judged by its results on individuals’s lives, the atmosphere and financial alternatives.
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the ADC governorship candidate, anchored his presentation in Fela’s music, utilizing lyrics from the Afrobeat pioneer’s repertoire to look at management, schooling, financial alternative and the longer term of Lagos. He argued that Nigerians should reject the belief that poor public companies and mediocre management had been inevitable options of life in Africa. Invoking Fela’s line, “Teacher, don’t teach me nonsense,” he referred to as for a elementary shift within the schooling system, with larger emphasis on crucial considering, sensible expertise, manufacturing and an African-centred understanding of historical past.
Rhodes-Vivour mentioned his proposed administration would prioritise human capability growth, together with vocational coaching centres at ward degree. The centres, he defined, would learn by information gathered from native communities in order that coaching mirrored residents’ precise wants and financial pursuits. Referring to a survey performed via the Our Lagos Foundation, which he launched on his birthday the earlier 12 months, he mentioned between 46 and 47 per cent of respondents expressed curiosity in agriculture. He mentioned the initiative demonstrated the significance of gathering data straight from the individuals authorities meant to serve. He additionally proposed free vocational coaching and feeding preparations to allow individuals to accumulate expertise with out dropping the means to assist themselves.
The ADC candidate linked expertise growth to employment, safety and housing, arguing that younger individuals drawn into street-level political actions and different unproductive pursuits wanted viable financial options. He proposed delivering 100,000 housing items inside 4 years, drawing inspiration from the administration of former Lagos governor Lateef Jakande. His method, he mentioned, would contain bulk procurement of constructing supplies and the employment of native labour to cut back prices and stimulate native economies. He additionally advocated decentralising growth, increasing rail transportation and bettering waterways to cut back commuting occasions and make housing extra inexpensive. He claimed that Lagos might develop its rail strains concurrently inside two and a half years, offered the required rights of method and financing preparations had been secured.
On the atmosphere and public companies, Rhodes-Vivour criticised the state’s waste administration preparations, arguing that amassing and dumping refuse was not an ample waste administration technique. He advocated recycling, upcycling and changing waste into power, with native governments taking part in a extra energetic position within the course of. He additionally referred to as for stronger wetland safety to deal with flooding and criticised demolitions that go away residents displaced. Water provide, he added, remained a serious concern regardless of Lagos’ plentiful water assets and the existence of tasks meant to enhance entry. He argued that authorities ought to focus much less on income assortment as a measure of success and extra on inexpensive housing, main healthcare, clear environment, dependable infrastructure and the general welfare of residents.
Funsho Doherty, the NDC governorship candidate, positioned the welfare of residents on the centre of his presentation, drawing on Fela’s 1981 track Original Sufferhead to argue that governance should handle the on a regular basis hardships of extraordinary individuals. He maintained that authorities efficiency ought to be measured by enhancements in individuals’s lives quite than by the quantity of bridges constructed, roads constructed or income generated. Citing the constitutional precept that the safety and welfare of the persons are the first functions of authorities, he challenged the tendency to rejoice Lagos’ internally generated income with out inspecting what residents obtain in return.
Doherty questioned whether or not the state’s appreciable income had translated into higher public schooling, accessible healthcare, ample housing, dependable electrical energy and inexpensive transportation. He recalled rising up in Yaba, Lagos, the place water flowed from the faucets in his household house in 1981, and contrasted that have with the difficulties many residents face accessing public water provides right this moment. He argued that the state’s monetary assets ought to be mirrored in measurable enhancements in dwelling requirements, together with decrease maternal and youngster mortality, higher outcomes in public examinations and a discount within the quantity of individuals dwelling in slums.
Outlining his programme, Doherty mentioned his manifesto contained particular commitments meant to make authorities extra conscious of residents’ wants. Among his proposals had been genuinely free schooling via secondary faculty, together with textbooks and examination charges; a nutritious meal for each youngster in public faculty on faculty days; and transportation assist for pupils who want it to get to highschool. His wider agenda, unveiled earlier than the controversy, additionally included increasing inexpensive housing, bettering public transport and supporting employment and small companies. He mentioned every coverage was developed with specific residents and the issues they confronted in thoughts, quite than as an summary authorities goal.
Doherty additionally harassed the significance of accountability and an efficient civil service, arguing that even well-designed insurance policies would fail if the establishments accountable for implementing them had been compromised by patronage and an absence of benefit. He referred to as for public officers to be held accountable for illegal choices and failed commitments, whereas urging a system that pulls succesful younger individuals into public service. He additionally highlighted the necessity for cooperation among the many government, legislature and judiciary, supported by knowledgeable civil service. For him, the take a look at of management was whether or not authorities might enhance residents’ welfare and supply clear proof of its efficiency.
Engr. Adedeji Doherty, the PDP governorship candidate, drew on his lengthy involvement in politics and enterprise to argue that many of Lagos’ elementary issues had persevered for many years regardless of successive elections and modifications in political management. Recalling that he started searching for the governorship at a younger age, he mentioned manifestos he had produced in earlier years continued to deal with issues that remained unresolved. He cited Fela’s Beasts of No Nation and Suffering and Smiling as works that captured the contradictions of Nigerian society, together with the tendency of leaders to criticise the individuals whereas failing to deal with their hardships. He additionally invoked the acquainted picture of overcrowded public transport as an instance the persistence of Lagos’ transportation challenges.
Introducing himself as a businessman who entered politics in 1998 and had remained dedicated to the PDP, Doherty argued that Lagos’ financial significance made efficient governance within the state crucial to Nigeria’s wider growth. He referred to the state’s substantial income progress in recent times however maintained that improved public funds had not translated right into a corresponding enchancment within the each day lives of residents. He mentioned the precedence of his administration can be to make life extra inexpensive, enhance financial alternatives and make sure that public assets delivered tangible advantages. Drawing on his expertise restructuring companies and coping with debt, he mentioned authorities wanted to handle its funds rigorously whereas figuring out sensible methods to assist residents and companies.
In healthcare, Doherty proposed partnerships with main pharmaceutical producers to cut back the associated fee of medicines and broaden entry to inexpensive medicine. Under his proposed association, the state would work with pharmaceutical firms to ascertain dispensaries throughout Lagos, whereas registered residents would obtain identification playing cards that may allow them to acquire medicines at lowered costs. He mentioned the association can be designed to profit employees throughout completely different occupations, together with drivers, mechanics and carpenters. His proposal mirrored a broader argument that authorities ought to use partnerships with the personal sector to cut back the associated fee of important companies quite than relying completely on public expenditure.
Doherty additionally recognized electrical energy as a crucial driver of financial progress, noting that the associated fee of operating turbines and buying diesel elevated working bills for companies, together with music studios and different inventive enterprises. He proposed participating power-sector operators to look at their monetary and operational challenges, with the state contemplating investments in change for fairness the place applicable, offered such preparations might assist decrease prices for customers. He mentioned infrastructure, roads, housing and different companies remained vital, however insisted that the final word objective ought to be to enhance the welfare of Lagosians and those that ship public companies, together with docs, nurses, lecturers and civil servants. He concluded by urging a extra sensible method to governance, centred on affordability, financial alternative and higher service supply.
Fela’s Legacy and the 2027 Choice
Across the displays, a standard theme emerged: Lagos’ subsequent administration should display that its income, infrastructure and financial energy are translating into higher dwelling circumstances for its residents. While the candidates differed of their proposed approaches, schooling, healthcare, housing, transportation, employment, environmental safety and public accountability featured prominently of their addresses.
The debate additionally mirrored the persevering with relevance of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s political legacy. Through music that challenged authority, uncovered social inequality and questioned the conduct of these in energy, Fela insisted that residents had a duty to scrutinise authorities. The audio system sought to hold that custom into the 2027 election cycle by inserting coverage proposals and public accountability on the centre of the dialog.
For Lagos voters, the problem will likely be to look at these guarantees, assess their feasibility and decide how every candidate intends to finance and implement the proposed programmes. Ultimately, the query posed by the controversy’s theme—Elections 2027: Who Are You Re?—was not merely concerning the identities of these searching for energy, however about their priorities, their capability to ship and the requirements by which they need to be held futures.
