How Jandor, Rhodes-Vivour, Doherty fared at Lagos governorship debate

Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been constantly blasting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for boycotting the event, but it was the candidate of the Labor Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who stole the limelight on Sunday. in the debate between the main Lagos State gubernatorial candidates.

Mr Rhodes-Vivour, who only joined the Labor Party in August after losing the PDP primaries, wowed the audience as he confidently outlined his plans if elected governor of Nigeria’s commercial capital.

The architect then trended on social media platforms with reviews of his performance in a debate organized by The Platform, a civil discussion initiative of the Covenant Christian Center.

Moderated by broadcaster and communications strategist, Victor Oladokun, the two-hour debate was also attended by Olufunso Doherty of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), but Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is seeking re-election on the All Progressives ticket. Congress (APC), boycotted the debate, citing PDP’s involvement in political violence in the country.

LP’s Rhodes-Vivour

Rhodes-Vivour and the other candidates began the debate by publicly rejecting political violence as the moderator pointed out an incident where APC and PDP supporters allegedly disrupted campaign rallies.

The LP flag bearer went on to share his plan to curb insecurity, citing youth unemployment as a threat and the main cause of political violence in the country.

He promised to ensure that the youth acquire job skills that will be domiciled in local government areas, adding that to deal with police harassment, he will create a special force with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to establish a hotline for people to call. when they are being harassed.

In a clear dig at the ruling APC, the LP candidate said “thug culture has been celebrated in Lagos for too long” following up his point by referencing the viral video of thugs getting off a bus with machetes during the #EndSars Protest in 2020.

Nigerian youths have taken to the streets in October 2020 to protest against police brutality, extrajudicial killings and extortion and call for the reform of the Nigerian police. However, in what appeared to be a coordinated attack, hoodlums attacked peaceful protesters.

On inadequate transport and infrastructure, Mr Rhodes-Vivour said the basic foundation needed was a proper railway system, promising that his government would deliver 60 kilometers of rail within four years.

He blasted the APC administration in the state for delivering 16 kilometers in 14 years, a claim which was later fact-checked as false. Reports have it that President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned 13 kilometers of the first phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line.

Rhodes-Vivour also made false claims in response to the floods in the state, saying Lagos does not have a Wetland Protection policy, while the government launched a policy on the conservation, protection and management of wetlands in 2016.

On road safety, he said his government will set a clear policy to kick the ‘Agbero’ (motor park touts) system, which “creates many safety hazards in the country.”

Overall, Mr. Rhodes-Vivour explained his plans and seems to have attracted more supporters with his performance. He was also praised when he promised to publish the state government’s accounts within his first 100 days in office.

Score: 8/10

Jandor PDP

Mr. Adeniran, alias Jandor, the candidate of the main opposition party, PDP, made several sneering comments about Mr. Sanwo-Olu despite the governor’s absence. Both teams of candidates have engaged in accusations and counter-accusations.

Mr. Sanwo-Olu has been pulled out of the debate, saying he will not “share the podium” with the PDP candidate after the violence that erupted in the Surulere region of the state.

Speaking on the incident, Mr. Adediran accused the APC candidate of playing the victim card, saying Mr. Sanwo-Olu is in the best position to reveal who the culprit is, as the PDP has recorded more attacks during the campaign.

He promised that his supporters would continue their election campaign “as peacefully as possible”.

The PDP candidate appeared to be versatile with his residence in Lagos as he highlighted how to overcome road congestion in terms of container trucks and trailers.

He said the solution to the gridlock on the Lekki-Aja Expressway is to provide a fly-over at every junction, adding that the country needs more alternative routes that connect to the destination. He said heavy trucks (containers) should be restricted from moving during the day.

Regarding how to deal with the more than two million children who are out of school in the country, he said that he will work with the 5,000 private schools registered in the country to admit some of these children, and he will also work with religions. organization to use the space during school hours to help learning.

He also stated that the Lagos State government has not implemented the 65-year retirement age policy for teachers in the state, which was signed into law by President Buhari in 2020.

He went ahead to shade Mr. Sanwo-Olu in his reaction to the management of waste and landfills in the country, which he said has been a long-standing problem in the country.

Referring to Mr. Sanwo-Olu, he said the “man who ran” said he had a solution for the landfill in an interview but certain companies wanted him to do a PPA before he could take on a waste-to-wealth or energy project. . He said the government would use the opportunity to deal with waste.

On waste management, he said his government would involve PSP and “PSP properly, not just PSP of political leaders and acolytes”, another jab at the ruling party.

Mr. Adeniran promised to convert the country’s ‘area children’ into a positive tool to improve security around the garage corridor and the entire country, adding that he would create “community policing” that would allow citizens to share information about attacks and other problems directly with the government. .

However, the numbers and data he cites are accurate.

Score: 7/10

Doherty’s ADC

Like Mr. Rhodes-Vivour, Mr. Doherty of ADC intelligently outlined his plans for Lagos State. He said he would be a principal and “not an agent controlled by some people,” which he said of the APC candidate, Mr. Sanwo-Olu, who is said to enjoy the support of former state governor, Bola. Tinubu.

Mr. Doherty agreed with Mr. Rhodes-Vivour’s response on the rail project, saying it is a welcome development that should be complemented by bringing water channels to the multimodal transportation system.

Mr. Doherty vowed to abolish the tax firm in the state, Alpha Beta Consulting, and review all tax collections in Lagos if elected governor of the state. Alpha Beta reportedly handles the computation, tracking and reconciliation of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Lagos.

He also promised to publish information about the Blue Line rail, start a public sector compensation survey, and raise compensation. The ADC candidate added that he will announce road emergencies, flash points, and rapid intervention mechanisms and will inspect the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge. “We will stop and review the project,” he said.

To reduce the brain drain in the health sector, he said he would review the compensation of doctors, nurses, and other health workers in the country if elected.

Score: 6/10