- Pledges Rail Completion, Single Digit Housing Loans, Jobs
- Sanwo-Olu Recounts Deputy’s Loyalty, Reveals How He Sacrificed Guber Ambition In 2018
Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has unveiled an ambitious 100-point manifesto, promising sweeping reforms in infrastructure, healthcare, education, transportation, housing and job creation.
Hamzat, who unveiled the manifesto titled The Lagos Promise at an event in Lagos on Friday, said his proposed administration would prioritise residents’ welfare, economic opportunities, security and inclusive governance.
The manifesto, built around seven strategic pillars, outlines his vision for the state and sets out commitments he said would shape his administration if elected governor in 2027.
The seven pillars are People First, Renewal, Opportunity, Machinery of Government, Inclusion, Security and Resilience, and Everyday Dignity.
Declaring that his ambition went beyond securing votes, Hamzat said he was presenting a clear roadmap to earn the confidence of Lagos residents and demonstrate his preparedness to govern.
“I stand before you today, not simply to ask for your vote, but to earn your trust, to share my vision for Lagos, to explain what I believe that we must do differently, and to demonstrate why I’m prepared to serve you,” he said.
He added that his administration would be anchored on three guiding principles: respect, work and truth.
In a reference to his personal experiences growing up, the deputy governor said his understanding of Lagosians’ everyday struggles was shaped by his childhood, particularly the challenges associated with poor drainage, unreliable electricity and inadequate infrastructure.
He also highlighted his contributions to successive administrations in Lagos, listing the development of the state’s digital map and residents’ register, the introduction of single-digit mortgage interest rates and the construction of inner roads among initiatives associated with his public service record.
Under his proposed agenda, Hamzat promised to complete ongoing rail projects, strengthen road and water transportation networks and expand access to affordable housing.
He also pledged to improve security, upgrade healthcare facilities across the state’s 57 local government areas and local council development areas, and expand access to quality education.
The manifesto further promises a renewed focus on vocational training, skills development, youth empowerment and job creation, alongside stronger support for small businesses.
On environmental challenges, Hamzat pledged improved waste management, stronger flood prevention measures and protection for vulnerable coastal communities, as Lagos continues to grapple with flooding and the pressures of rapid urbanisation.
He said the overarching objective was to build a safer, more prosperous and inclusive state where residents would occupy a central position in government decision-making.
Introduces accountability mechanism
In what could become one of the defining features of his proposed administration, Hamzat promised to establish an independent performance council to monitor government activities and publicly assess the implementation of his 100-point manifesto.
He said the proposed body would independently review government performance and report directly to Lagos residents, rather than leave the assessment of its achievements solely in the hands of political officeholders.
“An independent performance council will review delivery and report directly to you as Lagosians,” he declared.
Hamzat also promised an annual performance document matching every campaign pledge against actual results, insisting that unfulfilled commitments would not be concealed.
“And every year, one document will set every promise against the result. Where we miss a target, that report will name it.
“That report will give us reason and set a new date,” he said.
Invoking the late literary icon, Chinua Achebe, Hamzat said the proposed accountability framework would give residents the power to document, scrutinise and evaluate his administration.
Quoting Achebe’s famous observation that until the lions have their own historians, the story of the hunt would always glorify the hunter, he said his proposed government would ensure that Lagosians controlled the narrative of governance through independent assessment.
“So, the Hamzat compact makes every Lagosian a historian of my government. It puts the pen in your hands. You check it, you track it, and you measure it,” he said.
The unveiling marks a significant step in Hamzat’s preparations for the 2027 governorship contest, with his 100-point agenda placing infrastructure delivery, economic opportunities, social welfare and public accountability at the centre of his proposed leadership programme.
The central test of the manifesto, however, will be how its 100 promises are translated into measurable results, particularly the completion of major transport projects, affordable housing delivery, employment generation and improved living conditions across Lagos.
In another development, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has thrown his weight behind his deputy Hamzat, as a credible successor, describing him as a loyal, tested and experienced leader capable of sustaining the state’s development trajectory.
Sanwo-Olu, in a personal account of their seven-year political partnership, recalled how Hamzat sacrificed his ambition to become governor in 2018 after party leaders asked him to step aside for him.
The governor said Hamzat, who had spent 13 years in public service under former governors Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, had possessed the experience, political backing and credentials to contest the governorship election at the time.
However, rather than allow the development to breed resentment, Sanwo-Olu said his deputy accepted the decision, shook hands with him and subsequently agreed to become his running mate barely five weeks later.
He described the gesture as an uncommon demonstration of loyalty and political maturity, insisting that Hamzat had never given him any reason to question his commitment to their administration.
“Most of you know this story, but none of you have heard it from me,” the governor said, recounting the events of September 2018.
“It takes a rare man to put down what he wants without nursing a grudge. Femi shook my hand and five weeks later, agreed to run beside me. I have never forgotten that.”
Sanwo-Olu said his assessment of Hamzat was not based merely on his impressive curriculum vitae but on their years of working closely together, particularly during challenging moments of governance.
He cited the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction and commencement of operations of the Lagos Blue and Red rail lines, and the opening of the Lekki Deep Sea Port as major milestones during which Hamzat played significant roles.
According to him, his deputy was actively involved in the planning and execution of major infrastructure projects, bringing his engineering background and technical expertise to bear long before their official commissioning.
The governor also dismissed the notion that deputy governors should merely occupy ceremonial positions, saying Hamzat had distinguished himself through active participation in governance.
Sanwo-Olu recalled that Hamzat had promised from the first day of their administration to become the best deputy governor in Lagos history, adding that he had fulfilled that commitment.
“In seven years, there has not been a single day I wondered whose side he was on. We have had one government, one direction, and one voice,” he said.
The governor further invoked Lagos’ political succession tradition, describing governance in the state as a relay race in which successive administrations build on the achievements of their predecessors.
He traced the continuity from Tinubu to Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and his own administration, arguing that leadership transition must preserve the momentum of development rather than disrupt it.
” The baton is never passed to a runner standing still. You run at full speed inside the exchange zone, together, before the pass,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Highlighting Hamzat’s credentials, the governor noted that he built the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge during Fashola’s administration, contributed to the digitalisation of government under Tinubu and holds a doctorate in engineering.
He also pointed to Hamzat’s family background, noting that his father served under the administration of former Lagos governor, Lateef Jakande, as evidence of his longstanding connection with public service.
Responding to criticism that Lagos continues to draw its political leaders from the same circle, Sanwo-Olu argued that the state was not recycling leadership but grooming experienced hands through years of public service.
He maintained that Lagos could not afford to experiment with its leadership at a time when major infrastructure projects were ongoing and the state’s development master plan extended to 2052.
According to the governor, Hamzat’s vision represents the continuation of an established development agenda rather than a collection of freshly assembled campaign promises.
“What Femi presents today is not a campaign promise cooked up on a bus, it is the next leg of a race we have been running since 1999,” he declared.
Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement signals a strong political backing for Hamzat’s potential governorship ambition, positioning the deputy governor as a continuity candidate ahead of the next phase of Lagos political succession.
The governor concluded by urging Lagos residents to support the transition, insisting that Hamzat was already familiar with the demands of leadership and prepared to take the state forward under the banner of The Lagos Promise.
