Lagos PDP candidate vows to lower electricity costs and housing prices

The governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Deji Doherty, has promised to help residents and businesses with electricity costs. He said he would offer rebates and find ways to make housing more affordable if he becomes governor.

Doherty made these promises while unveiling his 10-point manifesto at the Lagos Governorship Debate on Sunday. He emphasized that his government would focus on policies that will increase the money residents have in their pockets from day one in office.

“On my first day, I’m going to make sure that you get some money put back into your pockets. I’m going to make sure that I give you rebates on power, especially power,” he stated.

The PDP candidate pointed out that high electricity costs are a big problem for businesses. He said that under the current tariff, many businesses struggle to make a profit.

“With N220 per kilowatt, no industry can be successful. This is reality talking. I’m not just talking,” he said.

On the issue of housing, Doherty questioned if it is realistic to build 150,000 houses in four years. He believes the high cost of building materials and land in Lagos makes this target hard to reach without tackling these costs first.

He said instead of making promises he might not keep, he would create a research team to find ways to lower the costs of construction.

“I don’t have any control over the price of the materials you are going to use to build these houses. I don’t have any control over the price of the land itself in Lagos State.

“But what I have control over is that I can put a research team together that is going to bring down the cost of building a bungalow compared to the cost of building a two-bedroom, two-level or three-level house,” he explained.

Doherty also spoke about the lack of basic infrastructure and social services in various communities across Lagos, especially in the riverine areas.

He mentioned that Lagos has between 26 and 28 islands, many of which, according to him, do not have primary healthcare facilities and other important services.

“We have between 26 and 28 islands in this state. I remember when I was working with a governorship candidate, I had to visit at least 16 of these islands.

“These islands do not even have primary healthcare, and they don’t have a lot of other things,” he said.

Introducing himself at the debate, Doherty called himself a technocrat, businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist. He said he regularly connects with everyday residents.

He explained that his interest in politics comes from his interactions with the people and revealed that he has been a member of the PDP since 1998.

Doherty listed power, housing, education, transportation and healthcare as key areas of focus in his 10-point agenda.