Atiku’s aide: Lateef Jakande — not Tinubu — is best civilian Lagos governor

Phrank Shaibu, aide on communications to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says Bola Tinubu is not the best civilian governor Lagos has had.

In a statement on Sunday, Shaibu said the late Lateef Jakande is the best civilian governor to oversee Lagos.

Tinubu, standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has repeatedly boasted that he laid the foundations of modern Lagos in 1999.

Jakande, now late, was governor of Lagos between 1979 and 1983.

The former vice-president’s aide said projects like the Lekki-Epe expressway, government house in Alausa, and the Lagos State University (LASU) are relics of the Jakande era.

“Tinubu cannot be the best product from Lagos. That title belongs to the late Lateef Jakande who was a disciple of Chief Obafemi Awolowo,” he said.

“Jakande built the Lekki-Epe Expressway from scratch, effectively opening up the Lekki Peninsula axis.

“He built all the low-cost housing units in Lagos. Some of the housing units include low cost estates at Amuwo-Odofin, Ijaiye, Dolphin, Oke-Afa, Ije, Abesan, Iponri, Ipaja, Abule Nla, Epe, Anikantamo, Surulere, Iba, Ikorodu, Badagry.

“Jakande built all the general hospitals in Gbagada and Ikorodu as well as LASUTH. He also built 20 health centres in the state. Jakande also constructed most of the primary and secondary schools in Lagos that still stand today.

“Available records stated that Jakande built 11,000 classrooms between March and August 1980 and by 1983, he had built over 22,000 classrooms with 40 pupils per class.”

Shaibu also said the claim by Tinubu on internally generated revenue (IGR) and non-availability of ambulances in Lagos have been found to be false.

“Tinubu also claims Lagos was ‘a jungle, an uncivilised place’ when he took over in 1999. This is pure falsehood since Lagos was the headquarters of the stock exchange and the private sector since the 1960s,” the aide said.

“His claim that the entire state had just one ambulance when he took over in 1999 is also impossible to believe and is specious at best.

“Tinubu’s strategy is based on falsehood. He paints a grim picture of Lagos he inherited, describing the state as a jungle and then exaggerates the little achievements he made in his eight years in office but Nigerians must not be fooled.

“If after 23 years, Lagos still does not come up in the top 30 most liveable cities in Africa, there is no guarantee these people will fare better in Aso Rock. Tinubu is not bringing any renewed hope.

“He is bringing hopelessness to Nigerians and must be prevented from doing so.”