PDP's Doherty Says Party Can Deliver for Lagos in 2027

The Peoples Democratic Party's Lagos State governorship candidate for 2027, Adedeji Doherty, believes that the success of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda relies heavily on Lagos State. He insists that the PDP is in a better position to turn federal policies into real benefits for the people.

Doherty shared his views at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday. He pointed out that Lagos, being Nigeria’s financial centre, has not done enough to support federal efforts in key areas like education, healthcare, power, transportation, and security.

He said, "I wouldn’t want to say too much today, but I want to let you know that we will challenge the sitting government in Lagos. Even though, yes, they might be in power, definitely, in my sojourn and political journey in Lagos State, the Centre of Excellence, there will be no leader in any substantive party in Lagos State who will say they do not know Engineer Adedeji Doherty. We have contested as aspirants through the years, consistently for more than a decade, and we have shown capacity and strength. Leaders in any political party will not be strangers to Engineer Adedeji."

"We are going to play as a team. We are going to play fair and square, and we are going to bring out the things that we believe the people of Lagos State need. We are going to focus on the youth who are coming after us and on the environment."

Doherty identifies himself as a businessman and industrialist. He shared that he has started several companies, faced failures, but also achieved many successes. He believes his experiences prove that the private sector supports his claims. He added, "Lagos State is the boiling point and also the economic hub of Nigeria."

He continued, "Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, can do all he wants to do as President. His Renewed Hope Agenda, his removal of fuel subsidy, his creation of Band A and Band B in the power sector, his opening up of the power industry, his empowerment programmes for youths, and his aggressiveness in using ministers like our national leader to execute his Renewed Hope Agenda."

Doherty stressed that without Lagos’s participation, the President's initiatives won't have much impact. He said, "Even in the FCT, his various Renewed Hope programmes cannot show, except Lagos buys into whatever he is doing. Where you do not have Lagos attached to the execution of what the President is doing, it will not really show and have an effect on the generality of the people. Lagos State has about 20 to 25 million residents. Lagos State has close to 13 million registered voters. Lagos State is the economic hub and the financial centre of the entire country. Lagos State is where the unity of Nigeria manifests itself."

Doherty, who is also the PDP South-West National Vice Chairman, believes Lagos should lead in security and education in the South-West. He pointed out that despite generating about N3.3 trillion in revenue yearly, which he claims is comparable to the economies of several West African countries, Lagos has not invested enough in essential sectors like higher education and social infrastructure.

He added, "We have not gotten a new general hospital in the past 25 years. We have not gotten a well-articulated road network. We still have traffic jams at the same level we had 15 years ago, even with the Blue Rail, the Red Rail, and all the other rail projects. Not to mention the amount of money that has been spent here, there are a lot of things that are still missing in the whole architecture of Lagos State that should complement and act as palliatives to whatever Mr President is doing."

According to Doherty, if Lagos does not support agriculture and help local businesses, the President's efforts will not reach the grassroots. He said, "If there is no reciprocal support from Lagos in terms of agriculture, in terms of making sure that indigenous companies in Lagos State rise again, in terms of ensuring that entrepreneurs and businessmen make money so that they can expand their businesses rather than being overtaxed, if all these areas are not addressed conclusively, then whatever Mr President is trying to do at the federal level will not reach the grassroots."

He also revealed a 10-point agenda covering roads, education, healthcare, housing, security, power, water supply, and youth empowerment. He believes that focusing on affordable electricity will help small businesses and create jobs.

Doherty said, "It is going to be a 10-point agenda, an agenda that is going to cover roads, education, health, housing, security, empowerment of youths, women, children, and infants. It is going to cover water. It is going to cover power."

He stressed that if power prices drop in Lagos, the state will thrive. He said, "These are the areas that we are going to focus on, and these are the areas where I believe that once we can bring down the price of power in Lagos State, Lagos State will boom. When we take the extra money that Mr President has released through the removal of fuel subsidy, we can make sure that we put it in the right place."

Doherty mentioned plans to use drones and other security tools to handle insecurity. He emphasized that keeping Lagos safe means also ensuring the safety of nearby states. He said, "The bandits have now come to Oyo, terrorising people in Oyo. Definitely, it has now become a state security problem and a national security problem. As Governor of Lagos State, I will move there with drones. I will move there with every security resource available. I will override even the Oyo State Government because they cannot afford what I can afford. But I must stop them in Oyo. I must squash them in Oyo."

He concluded, "It is my responsibility to make sure that I keep Lagos safe. And if I am going to keep Lagos safe, I have to keep Oyo safe. I have to keep Ondo safe. I even have to keep the Niger Delta safe. I must be involved because, from the Niger Delta and from Ondo by the waterside, someone can come into Lagos within one hour, commit a crime, and go back to Delta State. In my administration, that will not happen."