[VIDEO] Lagos Candidates Disagree On Flooding, Traffic, Housing, Education At Governorship Debate

Four candidates contesting the 2027 Lagos State governorship election have presented different approaches to tackling the state’s challenges of flooding, traffic congestion, housing, and education, with promises ranging from technology-driven environmental solutions and expanded public transportation to affordable homes and free education.

The candidates — Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Obafemi Hamzat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — made their positions known on Sunday at a governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium in Lagos.

The debate featured competing assessments of the state’s development priorities, with the opposition candidates criticising aspects of the APC government’s record and Hamzat defending its policies while outlining plans to expand infrastructure and social services.

Flooding: Technology, Drainage, Environmental Management

On flooding, Rhodes-Vivour blamed what he described as decades of bad governance for some of the challenges confronting Lagos residents, promising a technology-driven approach to environmental management if elected.

The ADC candidate said his administration would prioritise the safety of residents and create a cleaner environment through policies that would address flooding and improve living conditions.

“All of us are experiencing the damage that has come from bad governance that has been endemic in this state for the last 20 years,” he said.

“We want a cleaner Lagos. We want a safer Lagos. We want a safer Lagos. We want a more affordable Lagos, and we want a Lagos that works for everybody, not just the privileged few.”

Hamzat, however, defended the state’s existing drainage infrastructure, describing its network as “fantastic”.

The APC candidate said the priority should be to ensure that the drainage channels remain free of blockages so that water can flow into the creeks.

Traffic: APC’s Multi-Modal Transportation Plan

On traffic and transportation, Hamzat outlined the APC government’s plans to improve mobility through rail, road and water transportation.

He said the state was targeting the movement of one million passengers daily through 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.

The deputy governor also disclosed plans to expand water transportation through 77 electric ferries, arguing that more commuters could be moved through the state’s waterways.

Defending the government’s investment in rail transportation, Hamzat said there was nowhere in Africa where the private sector had funded a rail system.

However, the ADC candidate said traffic jams should not be a lifestyle.

He disclosed that the improvement of water transportation and the provision for more infrastructure should be normalised.

Housing: 100,000 Units, Mortgages, Rent Regulation

Housing emerged as another area of competing priorities, with Rhodes-Vivour promising more than 100,000 housing units if elected.

The ADC candidate said the units would be made accessible to residents, arguing that successive APC administrations had prioritised the interests of the elite over the needs of people in rural communities.

He criticised the state’s emphasis on internally generated revenue (IGR), saying residents were not experiencing the benefits of the revenue generated.

“Lagos celebrates high IGR, yet people are not experiencing it,” he said, adding that his administration would direct policies towards residents struggling with the cost of living.

Hamzat, on his part, said the state had created 24 housing estates in the last eight years but acknowledged the need to expand access to quality accommodation.

He promised to make more mortgage facilities available to residents and complete ongoing housing projects in different parts of Lagos.

The APC candidate also pledged to enforce the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency Law, which mandates landlords to collect only one year’s rent rather than demand payment for multiple years.

He said the government would ensure compliance with the law to address arbitrary rent demands and make accommodation more accessible.

Education: NDC’s Doherty Promises ‘Truly Free’ Schooling

On education, Doherty made one of the debate’s clearest social policy promises, pledging to make education completely free in Lagos if elected in 2027.

The NDC candidate said his administration would prioritise equipping residents with education and relevant skills to improve their lives.

He argued that no child should be denied an education because their parents could not afford the cost, stressing that free education must go beyond the removal of tuition fees.

“So, our policies are aimed at capacitating the people, giving them skills, ensuring that there is no child born in Lagos who does not get an education because their parents cannot afford it.

“We have said we will make education truly free, not nominally free. Truly free, so people will not pay exam fees; they will not be asked to come and pay taxes at a point when they have to write their exams,” Doherty said.

He also promised to introduce a programme that would provide children in public schools with one affordable meal every day.

PDP Candidate Raises Concerns Over Lagos Debt

Beyond transportation, housing and education, PDP candidate Deji Doherty raised concerns about the state’s debt profile, arguing that the cost of servicing its domestic and external debts was weighing down the economy.

He said Lagos spends between ₦19 billion and ₦20 billion on debt servicing, describing the financial obligation as a significant burden on the state.

“The debt burden (in Lagos) is heavy. When you are paying close to about 19 to 20 billion in external debt, in domestic debt, in foreign debt, then you have a burden you are carrying that is weighing you down,” he said.

Doherty also criticised what he described as the lack of independence of local government areas, arguing that they were closest to the people and should have the resources to address their needs.

“When your LGAs are not independent, those are the closest to the people, and when you do not give them what they need, when you are taking in LASAA and putting it in the pocket of the state, these are the issues,” he added.

The debate was the first in the series organised by the consortium, which comprises Channels Television, TVC News, Punch Newspaper, The Cable, and Vanguard Newspaper, in selected battleground states ahead of the 2027 elections.

The organisers say the event was aimed at providing a credible, non-partisan platform for participating candidates to present their agendas, defend their policy choices and respond to questions on the issues that matter most to Lagos residents.

They also said it provided an opportunity for voters to put the candidates’ capacity, ideas and priorities — from transportation and infrastructure to security, housing, education, healthcare, job creation and economic growth — under public scrutiny before the February 6, 2027, governorship elections.

The series is expected to end with the presidential debate.