Odunaike kicks off Lagos governorship campaign, vows to fix state

…Unveils 162-page manifesto, promises inclusive governance

Rotimi Odunaike, Lagos State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), on Friday formally launched his campaign with a promise to fix the state’s infrastructure deficit, expand access to social amenities and end what he described as decades of governance that favoured a privileged few.

Odunaike, who unveiled a 162-page campaign manifesto titled ‘Our Covenant With the People of Lagos’, said his administration would place residents at the centre of policymaking and pursue an inclusive development agenda.

Speaking at the campaign flag-off in Ikeja, he argued that Lagos had largely served the interests of a privileged few since the return to democratic rule in 1999, leaving many residents grappling with deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate social amenities.

“I will fix Lagos. Our slogan is ‘A New Lagos for All’. This is not just a mere slogan, but a determination to put the people at the centre of my administration,” he said.

“My deputy, Prince Lateef Adenkule Adele, and I will fix Lagos and make it work for all.”

The candidate pledged to begin addressing the state’s challenges from the day he is sworn into office, although the specific policy proposals and implementation timelines contained in his manifesto were not detailed in the statement announcing the campaign launch.

The event was attended by the Labour Party’s National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, and members of the party’s National Working Committee.

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Usman urged party leaders and members in Lagos to put internal differences aside and mobilise support for Odunaike, saying unity would be critical to the party’s electoral prospects.

“I charge you to surpass the feat the Labour Party recorded in 2023. I am certain that with unity of purpose, you can achieve this because the Labour Party is a party of the grassroots in Lagos State,” she said.

Her remarks underscored the party’s push to consolidate its grassroots base and build on its performance in the 2023 general election.
Odunaike’s emergence as the party’s governorship standard-bearer comes with an emphasis on professional experience and administrative capacity. The Labour Party described him as a banking and finance expert and entrepreneur with interests in agriculture, technology and artificial intelligence.

He previously served as chairman of the Labour Party in Lagos State, a position in which the party said he helped reconcile rival factions and restore cohesion during a period of internal crisis.

The campaign launch sets the stage for the party’s effort to challenge the existing political order in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, with Odunaike positioning his candidacy around inclusive governance, infrastructure renewal and improved access to public services.

His campaign will now have to translate its promises into a clear, costed and measurable policy programme capable of convincing voters that a change in leadership can deliver tangible improvements to their daily lives.