2027: Reject APC to unlock prosperity APC gov candidate tells Lagosians

The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Lagos State, Prince Laja Adeoye, says voting out the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 is necessary to end persistent hardship and unlock inclusive prosperity for residents.

“We are not coming to manage Lagos, we are coming to reset it,” Adeoye declared in a statement on Tuesday.

He insisted that another administration under the same political structure would amount to deferred accountability rather than progress.

Adeoye described the Feb. 6, 2027 governorship election as an opportunity for Lagos residents to choose a new direction.

He said the election would determine whether residents were ready to embrace a deliberate reset or continue with the political structure that had governed the state since 1999.

“Everyday experience for many Lagosians remains defined by chronic gridlock, recurrent flooding, high rents, shortage of housing, multiple taxation and unreliable power.

“Experience should translate to relief for the people, not more burden and discomfort for average Lagos residents.

“Another cycle under the same political machinery feels like deferred accountability rather than progress.

“Lagos residents must embrace a deliberate reset over the continuation of a political structure that has governed the state since 1999,” the candidate said.

Adeoye described Atunto Eko 1.0, themed “Re-engineering Lagos for Inclusive Prosperity”, as a practical alternative to continuity under the APC.

He said that Lagos generated about N1.77 trillion in internally generated revenue in 2025, ahead of other states, but noted that the state’s economic performance had not translated into improved living conditions for many residents.

He listed persistent challenges facing Lagos residents to include traffic congestion, flooding, high rents, housing shortages, multiple taxation, unreliable electricity, inadequate basic amenities, emergency response and waste management.

Adeoye also cited forced evictions in communities such as Makoko and Oworonshoki as examples of governance practices that he said lacked adequate consultation and alternative arrangements for affected residents.

He said the APC and its predecessors, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), had operated within a tightly controlled political structure centred on the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).

According to him, the structure of APC has limited the opportunity for broader participation in governance.

Adeoye said the 100-point “Lagos Promise” agenda of the APC governorship candidate, incumbent Deputy Governor Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, which includes additional buses, rail extensions, housing and expanded health insurance, is being presented as consolidation of existing achievements.

He, however, argued that many of the challenges had persisted or worsened during Hamzat’s tenure as Deputy Governor since 2019, making another administration under the same political structure a postponement of accountability.

Adeoye said the 2023 presidential election result in Lagos, in which the APC lost to Mr Peter Obi, demonstrated growing dissatisfaction among young people and middle-class residents.

He said his Atunto Eko 1.0 blueprint was built around five pillars: affordable healthcare, quality education, job creation through small and medium-scale enterprises, modern infrastructure and security through community policing.

“The blueprint gives a detailed roadmap on how and when to achieve the items, how they would be funded, and how the public and private sectors would play a major role in achieving them,” he said.

Adeoye said the plan targeted about 100,000 direct jobs within two years and up to 1.5 million jobs within four years through technology hubs in Yaba and Ogba, agro-processing centres in Badagry, Epe and Ikorodu, skills academies and the proposed Eko Skill Code programme.

He said the agenda also proposed the development of about 100,000 affordable homes through private-sector partnerships and single-digit mortgages to reduce the pressure of advance rent payments on tenants.

On electricity, Adeoye said the plan targeted at least 2,000 megawatts through independent power projects across the five IBILE divisions to establish a more reliable and independent electricity network.

He said his administration would also build or rehabilitate more than 300 primary healthcare centres within 18 months to improve access to affordable medical services.

On education, he said the agenda proposed exceeding the UNESCO benchmark for annual education funding, returning more than 300,000 out-of-school children to classrooms and giving special attention to girl-child education.

Adeoye said the plan would also provide N50 billion annually in seed capital and grants for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises, targeting 50,000 young people and women.

He said the proposed governance reforms included replacing the GAC with a broader elders’ and advisory council comprising traditional rulers, market leaders, youths, women and business representatives.

Adeoye also proposed pursuing the conversion of the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) into full-fledged local government areas, potentially increasing the number of LGAs in Lagos to 57, subject to the necessary federal legislative process.

He said the reform would deepen grassroots governance, reduce multiple taxes and levies and decentralise economic activities across the state.

“We are not coming to manage Lagos, we are coming to reset it,” Adeoye said.

The APM candidate said his private-sector experience had equipped him with the discipline required to price projects, manage contractors and deliver mixed-use developments, rather than depend on political patronage.

He acknowledged arguments by continuity advocates that retaining the existing administration would preserve institutional knowledge and ongoing projects, but insisted that experience must translate into tangible relief for residents.

Adeoye said he would not abandon ongoing projects if elected, adding that his administration would prioritise payment of contractors who had completed projects but were still being owed by the state government.

He also pledged to promote deserving civil servants and introduce reforms that would place public service above personal interests.

Adeoye urged Lagos residents to consider measurable improvements in housing, electricity, employment and transparent governance when deciding their choice among the 17 governorship candidates in the Feb. 6, 2027 election.