Lagos governorship debate: How Sanwo-Olu set negative antecedent

BY BOLUWOLE ADEAGBO

The Lagos state gubernatorial town hall debate organised by The Platform, a civic discussion initiative of the Covenant Christian Centre could have been an avenue for all candidates to get their plans and agenda across to the voters but the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and present governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was nowhere to be found while the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdul-Azeez Adediran popularly known as Jandor, used the opportunity to portray his competence and capacity to lead a cosmopolitan state with the fourth largest economy in Africa.

Sanwo-Olu had, last Saturday, pulled out of the debate saying he would not be “sharing the podium” with the PDP candidate following the violence that erupted in the Surulere area of the state.

Debates among competing electoral candidates have become a centrepiece as it helps voters make informed choices and compare the candidates’ positions on issues. Oftentimes, it helps candidates focus on issues they may not previously have focused on.

In 2019, Governor Sanwo-Olu alongside other candidates of the PDP, Alliance for Democracy (AD), and Action Democratic Party (ADC) partook in the debate organised by the Platform in Lagos where they all spoke on issues and solutions. At another debate organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu spoke on the perennial traffic gridlock on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and reeled out programmes he would embark on within the first two months as governor.

His appearance and participation in debates took a different turn in 2023 thereby setting a negative landmark for future candidates of his party who may rely on this dangerous antecedent to weaken the accountability of elected politicians and, consequently, decision-making.

However, Sanwo-Olu’s absence at the debate did not stop the session from holding as a very spirited Jandor slugged it out with other candidates. Jandor, who has been rated as the most eloquent and visionary candidate with a global experience on the state of Lagos wowed the audience with his well-laid-down strategy and policies that will upturn the economy of the state.

The two-hour debate was moderated by Victor Oladokun, a broadcaster and communications strategist, and had in attendance Rhodes-Vivour, candidate of the Labour Party, and Olufunso Doherty of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

With each of the candidates rolling out their plans to the voters, analysts’ review of the performances of the debate rated Jandor as the candidate whom the odds favour. The PDP’s candidate had claimed that Lagos can fare much better than the state is currently doing considering its huge IGR, assuring that he is the best man that can bring about the expected changes that the state deserves.

Although the Labour Party’s candidate, Rhodes-Vivour made clear his plans on transportation and ending flooding in some parts of the state, he didn’t articulate how he intends to increase the state’s IGR and mostly centred his debate and arguments around ending police brutality, extrajudicial killing and extortion and called for a reform of the Nigeria Police.

The ADC’s candidate, Olufunso Doherty, did quite well in vowing to unbundle a tax company in the state, Alpha Beta Consulting, and to review all tax collections in Lagos if elected governor of the state. Alpha Beta reportedly handles the computation, tracking, and reconciliation of internally-generated revenue in Lagos.

Vivour added that he would declare a state of emergency on the roads, flashpoints, and rapid intervention mechanisms and will review the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge. “We will stop it and review that project,” he said.

Asides from touching on critical and known sectors, PDP’s Jandor went deeper to speak on culture and tourism and using entertainment to boost the state’s IGR which influenced his decision to choose Funke Akindele, an ace creative practitioner, entertainer and legal practitioner as his running mate.

Jandor not only identified the problems of Lagos state, but he also highlighted the solutions that can really make Lagos work.

The entire terrain of Lagos is a very familiar one to him having combined his experience as a former government official and a private sector practitioner. Jandor is ready and has been on the journey of taking the number one political seat in Lagos for the past seven years and this shows that he is consistent and desirous of a true Lagos that works for all.

Jandor stressed that the tourism and entertainment sector would definitely receive a major boost and serve as a major revenue source to his administration as governor of Lagos state.

One indisputable fact about the PDP candidate is that he was the most versatile among the candidates. He also spoke toughly on how he would address road congestion with regards to curbing the incessant trailer falls on passenger vehicles and avoidable loss of lives.

He said the solution to the gridlock at the Lekki-Aja expressway can be solved with the construction of flyovers at every intersection in addition to the provision of more alternative routes, especially the construction of a coastal road that will help take away pressure off the Lekki-Ajah expressway the moment the refinery and the deep sea port come into for blown usage, adding that heavy trucks (containers) should be restricted from moving during the day.

On addressing the over two million out-of-school children in the state, Jandor said he would go into partnership with the registered 5,000 private schools in the state to admit some of the children, adding that he would also be working with religious organisations to use their spaces during school hours for aid learning.

Speaking on waste management, Jandor said his government would engage PSP operators in keeping Lagos environment clean and make them more functional than what is presently obtainable where the waste management is being used as a political tool.

While candidates of the Labour and ADC spoke about ending ‘area boys’ with no clear-cut vision of transforming them, Jandor pledged to turn them into positive tools to improve security around corridors where there are garages and the whole state at large to ensure that Lagos is safer and free from touts.

Clearing the air on the alleged violent acts of some fans of the leading opposition party in the state, Jandor promised that his supporters will continue the election campaign as “peaceful as possible” without uttering any snide comments to his opponents.

Figures and data quoted by Jandor were accurate while Labour Party’s Rhodes-Vivour made a false claim in response to flooding in the state by saying Lagos does not have a wetland protection policy, whereas the government launched a policy on wetland conservation, protection and management in 2016.