*Sanwo-Olu urges Lagosians to sustain continuity
Segun James and Wale Igbintade
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate in Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, yesterday unveiled a 100-point development agenda for the State, pledging that his administration, if elected, would be judged by measurable achievements rather than political rhetoric.
Hamzat gave the assurance during the presentation of his governorship manifesto and campaign song at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly the National Theatre, Iganmu), Lagos, where he outlined proposals covering transportation, affordable housing, security, potable water, infrastructure, environmental management and youth empowerment.
He urged residents to scrutinise the manifesto, identify commitments that directly affect their families and communities, document them and demand explanations for any that remain unfulfilled.
“Take the promise, read it, question it. Find the commitment that matters most to you, to your family, your street, your community. Write it down,” he said.
He added: “Then, bring it back to me. Show me what I delivered. Show me what is left to do. Hold me accountable for both. That is my promise.”
The APC candidate said his ambition was to build a Lagos that works for all residents, with an administration focused on development, inclusion and improved living conditions.
“This is the mandate I ask of you. The opportunity to serve you as your governor. The responsibility to deliver and the duty to answer to you,” he declared.
On transportation, Hamzat promised to expand the state’s public bus fleet from the current 1,000 to more than 4,000, with a target of transporting one million passengers daily.
He also pledged to expand the rail network, promising to extend the Blue Line to Ojo and establish an interchange connecting the Blue and Red lines at the National Theatre station.
He further pledged to advance the proposed Green Line from Marina to the Lekki Free Zone in collaboration with the Federal Government.
According to him, the Blue Line, upon reaching Trade Fair station early next year, is projected to carry 250,000 passengers daily.
Hamzat said his administration would integrate road, rail and water transportation into a coordinated system supported by unified ticketing arrangements and timetables to make commuting easier for residents.
Under the water transportation component, he pledged to dredge an additional 140 kilometres of waterways, optimise 15 ferry routes, rehabilitate 27 of the existing 47 terminals and procure 75 electric ferry boats.
Describing Lagos as a water state, he said the lagoon should become the state’s third major transportation corridor.
On road infrastructure, the candidate promised an aggressive rehabilitation of inner roads across communities in partnership with local governments, local council development areas and the Lagos State Public Works Corporation.
He also pledged to reconstruct strategic traffic-bearing roads, activate the Fourth Mainland Bridge through partnerships, accelerate the regional road along the Lake Yembe axis and commence the second phase of the Ogbebe-Mindene Link Bridge to connect with the Third Axial Road.
On housing, Hamzat promised to make home ownership more accessible through a mortgage arrangement requiring an initial deposit of 10 per cent, lower interest rates and longer repayment periods.
On security, he promised to strengthen the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency and extend its operations to every ward across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.
He also proposed establishing a state intelligence centre to strengthen the fight against cybercrime, financial crimes and organised criminal activities.
“Lagos has given me a lifetime of work. Today, I give Lagos my promise,” he declared.
He recalled his father’s advice on public service, saying he had been taught that leadership was fundamentally about serving the people.
“A promise is a loan. I have lifted it onto my head before you. I’m asking you to watch me carry it,” he said.
Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who attended the event as Special Guest of Honour, urged residents to sustain the APC-led administration in the state, saying ongoing development projects required continuity rather than experimentation.
He described Hamzat, his deputy for seven years, as an experienced public administrator who had been part of the state’s governance and development process for more than two decades.
Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat had served as commissioner under former governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola before becoming deputy governor in 2019.
He recalled that Hamzat had stepped down from the 2018 governorship contest following the intervention of APC leaders and subsequently agreed to serve as his running mate.
The Governor described the decision as a demonstration of Hamzat’s loyalty and commitment to the party and the development of Lagos.
He also credited his deputy with playing significant roles in major projects and policy decisions, including the development of the Blue and Red rail lines and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Sanwo-Olu argued that Hamzat’s experience in successive administrations placed him in a position to sustain ongoing projects and advance the state’s development agenda.
Using a relay race analogy, he described the transition of leadership in Lagos as a process in which successive governors must build on the foundations laid by their predecessors rather than start afresh.
He identified ongoing projects, including the Fourth Mainland Bridge, the proposed Lekki-Epe International Airport, the Omu Creek project, food hubs and logistics parks, as initiatives requiring continuity beyond the present administration.
“This is not the time to experiment with Lagos. This is the time to consolidate,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu, who said he had seven months left in office, described a peaceful transition of power to his deputy as one of his administration’s most significant legacies.
He urged Hamzat to sustain public engagement, complete ongoing projects and preserve the institutional framework that had supported successive administrations.
Also speaking, former Lagos Deputy Governor and representative of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan, stressed the importance of continuity while acknowledging the need to address emerging development challenges.
She said the state’s progress under successive administrations had resulted from deliberate planning, sacrifice and purposeful leadership.
According to her, the next administration should preserve policies and programmes that had delivered results while correcting identified shortcomings and introducing improvements where necessary.
She noted that Lagos’ growing population, expanding business activities and rising expectations required strategic planning and experienced leadership.
Sosan also urged the government to prioritise issues affecting residents, including transportation, road infrastructure, education, affordable healthcare, security, employment, housing and environmental sanitation.
Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, pledged that the campaign would be peaceful, disciplined and issue-based.
He said the organisation would focus on Hamzat’s experience, competence and policy proposals rather than personalities or political structures.
Obanikoro said the campaign would take its message to every local government, ward and community across the state, emphasising the need for unity among APC leaders, members and supporters.
He explained that the campaign’s guiding principles, ‘Forward and Together’, represented the commitment to sustaining development while ensuring that every resident, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, occupation or social status, had a stake in Lagos’ progress.
He said the next administration must consolidate existing achievements, address development gaps and create additional opportunities for residents.