Lagos guber candidates unveil programmes in debate

Cleric tasks electoral body on neutrality
The Anglican Diocese of Lagos West in collaboration with other dioceses, yesterday organsied a debate in which 12 of the 41 governorship candidates unveiled their manifestoes for the state.Tagged: 2019 Lagos Governorship Debate, it held at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja.

Professor Ifagbemi Awamaridi of Labour Party (LP); Venerable Funsho Awe, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP); Babatunde Gbadamosi, Action Democratic Party (ADP); Moji Fafowora, Action Democratic Party (ADP); Segun Musa, Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) participated in the debate.

Others are Jimi Agbaje, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Owolabi Salis, Alliance for Democracy (AD); Ladipo Johnson, Alliance National Party (ANP), Abiodun Dabiri, Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP); Adebisi Ogunso, Young Progressives Party (YPP); Adetokunbo Pearse, Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on security, taxation, corruption, infrastructure, indigeneship, religion, politics, and local government administration, the candidates agreed on the need for change.They said they would fight corruption, provide infrastructure, beef up security and encourage the establishment of state police, adding that it is only those who know their localities could effectively police them.

They also agreed on reorganising Neighborhood Watch outfit in the state and make local governments autonomous. The candidates, however, differed over taxation and indigeneship. While Sanwo-Olu, Agbaje, Awe, Pearse and Ogunso want special attention to be given to Lagos indigenes in distributing of resources, others believe that everyone should be treated equally.“Indigenes and indigeneship are weapons used to deprive some people of their rights when it comes to sharing resources and political appointments, and as such, should be ignored,” they said.

However, Bishop of Lagos Diocese, Anglican Communion, Reverend Olusola Odedeji, urged all agencies involved in the conduct of next month’s general elections to be impartial and God-fearing, stressing that candidates should embrace the spirit of sportsmanship.According to him, candidates and political parties should see elections as a call to service, hence the need to avoid desperation in their pursuit.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of ADP commended Gbadamosi, its governorship candidate, for his performance at the platform governorship debates, stating that he outshone candidates of other political parties. Gbadamosi, who exuded brilliance at the platform’s governorship debate, organised by the Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos, was commended in social media platforms and rated overall best by Premium Times, and others.