Three leading contenders in the 2027 Lagos governorship race are expected to outline their policy priorities and address the state’s development challenges as the Nigeria Debate Consortium holds a governorship debate on Sunday, November 8.
The debate, scheduled for 7 p.m. at The Hub by IALA, House of His Glory, Plot 18, Providence Road, Marwa, Lekki, is expected to feature Lagos Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Obafemi Hamzat; African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Funso Doherty.
The consortium comprises Channels Television, TVC News, The PUNCH, TheCable and Vanguard Newspaper. The Lagos engagement will inaugurate its planned series of election debates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Candidates are expected to address transportation, infrastructure, security, housing, education, healthcare, job creation and economic development ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election, which will determine Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s successor.
Hamzat, who is seeking to succeed Sanwo-Olu, unveiled a 100-point manifesto, The Lagos Promise (Ileri Eko), on October 30. The programme outlines proposals across seven areas, including transportation, healthcare, education, housing, security, employment and accountability.
His commitments include increasing the public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000, extending the Blue Line rail project to Okokomaiko and advancing the Green Line towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone. He also proposed upgrading 100 primary healthcare centres, expanding maternal and child healthcare facilities from 10 to 15 and constructing general hospitals in Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 election under the Labour Party, is making another bid on the ADC platform. At an October 1 town hall organised by The Platform, he pledged to deliver 100,000 housing units within four years if elected.
He also proposed improving mass transportation, expanding vocational training and youth employment, strengthening local government participation in waste management and establishing police accountability help desks.
READ ALSO: Security Fears, Candidates’ Withdrawal Force Cancellation Of Osun Governorship Debate
Doherty, the NDC candidate, has prioritised education, healthcare and affordable housing. At the same October 1 engagement, he promised free public education, including textbooks and examination fees, within his first 100 days in office.
His other proposals include daily meals for public school pupils, transportation assistance for children who need it, free healthcare and approximately 150,000 housing units during his first term.
The debate follows similar engagements during the 2023 Lagos governorship election. On January 29, that year, Rhodes-Vivour, Doherty and Peoples Democratic Party candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, participated in a debate organised by The Platform. Sanwo-Olu, who was seeking re-election, did not attend.
A separate debate organised by a coalition of civil society groups on February 15, 2023, also featured several candidates, including Sanwo-Olu.
Those engagements examined issues including education, housing, transportation, healthcare and security, while subsequent fact-checking of campaign claims underscored the importance of scrutinising candidates’ promises against verifiable evidence.
The consortium said participating candidates would receive equal speaking time and face common moderation standards, with fairness, neutrality and editorial independence guiding the proceedings.
Experienced journalists are expected to moderate the debate, which will be broadcast through the participating media organisations’ television and digital platforms.
The debate series is expected to cover selected battleground states before culminating in a presidential debate and town hall.