Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has promised to introduce a 25-year mortgage scheme, increase the state’s public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000 and enforce the existing one-year rent limit if elected governor in 2027.
Hamzat made the pledges recently during the Lagos Governorship Debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium at The Hub by IALA, Lekki, Lagos, where he outlined his proposed policies on housing, transportation, healthcare, security and economic development.
The debate featured three other governorship candidates: Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Describing the debate as an opportunity for voters to assess his preparedness for the governorship position, Hamzat said he considered the event a job interview.
“I take tonight as a job interview. The first question you ask anybody that wants this type of responsibility is: what have you done to prepare for this job?” he said.
To demonstrate his experience, the APC candidate highlighted his previous appointments as Commissioner for Science and Technology and Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.
He said he oversaw the development of Lagos State’s residents and structural database while serving as Commissioner for Science and Technology, and led the team that delivered the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.
Hamzat identified respect for citizens, hard work and truthfulness as the principles that would guide his administration.
He also defended the performance of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, under which he has served as deputy governor for almost eight years, while acknowledging that there were areas requiring improvement.
“I am comfortable with a lot of things Lagos government has achieved, I also know that there are gaps, and that is the judgment I bring to the table,” he said.
Addressing the economic challenges confronting residents, Hamzat identified transportation, housing and food as major concerns requiring deliberate government intervention.
“We are going through a corrective phase financially in Nigeria. We understand that transportation, housing and food are major concerns for our people, and these are areas where government must deliberately intervene,” he said.
On housing, Hamzat said the Sanwo-Olu administration had delivered 24 housing estates comprising 18,000 housing units in the last eight years.
He promised that his administration would introduce a mortgage scheme requiring prospective homeowners to make an initial deposit of 10 per cent, with the outstanding balance spread over 25 years.
The proposal, he said, was designed to make homeownership more accessible by allowing residents to acquire houses without paying the full cost upfront.
His housing proposal contrasted with that of Rhodes-Vivour, who promised to deliver 100,000 housing units within four years through measures including luxury taxation, development of the eastern foreshore and decentralisation of housing projects.
On tenancy, Hamzat pledged to enforce the existing one-year rent limit under Section 4 of the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011, which prohibits landlords and their agents from demanding more than one year’s rent in advance from new tenants.
He said his administration would ensure that residents were not compelled to pay two or three years’ rent before occupying apartments.
“So the next chapter for Lagos is to enforce, to make sure. So people should not be asked two years, three years ahead because nobody gets salary three years ahead,” he said.
On transportation, the APC candidate promised to expand the state’s public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000, with the deployment of compressed natural gas-powered buses to improve mass transit services.
He also pledged to develop an integrated transportation network connecting roads, rail and waterways, while extending the Blue Line rail to Okokomaiko and advancing the Green Line towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
While Rhodes-Vivour proposed connecting all the rail lines within two and a half years through a private-sector-driven approach, Hamzat said his priority would be to expand existing infrastructure and integrate the different transportation systems.
On healthcare, he promised to increase the number of flagship primary healthcare centres from 87 to 150, with the facilities operating round the clock.
He also pledged to expand hospital infrastructure and improve access to medical services across the state.
On security, Hamzat outlined plans to strengthen the state’s security architecture, including the establishment of state police. He also identified flooding and waste management as priority areas requiring attention.
The APC candidate said his proposed administration would be guided by a 100-point development agenda known as The Lagos Promise or Ileri Eko, built around seven pillars covering transportation, healthcare, education, housing, security, employment and accountability.
The debate was the first in the Nigeria Debate Consortium’s national series ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
It was organised by Channels Television, TVC News, The PUNCH, TheCable and Vanguard, with candidates given the opportunity to present their positions on transportation, infrastructure, security, housing…
