… pledges to fix Lagos for all
By Our Correspondent
The city of Ikeja stood still on Friday as the Labour Party, LP, governorship candidate for Lagos State, Rotimi Odunaike, formally kicked off his campaign for the 2027 general elections with pomp and pageantry.
The campaign flag-off witnessed a massive turnout of party faithful, supporters and residents who thronged the venue to identify with the Labour Party’s vision for a new Lagos.
At the event, Odunaike pledged to build “A New Lagos For All,” lamenting that since the return of democracy in 1999, the state has largely worked for the benefit of a privileged few.
According to him, a small political class has held Lagos captive since the inception of the Fourth Republic, leaving the majority of residents to grapple with decaying infrastructure and inadequate social amenities.
Addressing the crowd, Odunaike promised to hit the ground running from day one if elected governor.
He decried the state of infrastructure across the Centre of Excellence and assured Lagosians that his administration would prioritize people-centered governance.
In a Press Statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr. Ken Eluma Asogwa, the LP gubernatorial hopeful was quoted to have pledged to fix Lagos state and make it work for all.
“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. My deputy, Prince Lateef Adenkule Adele, and I will fix Lagos and make it work for all,” he declared.
The highpoint of the flag-off was the public presentation of his 162-page campaign manifesto titled “Our Covenant With the People of Lagos.”
The manifesto, according to the candidate, outlines a step-by-step approach to tackling the myriad challenges confronting the state, ranging from traffic congestion and housing deficit to youth unemployment, healthcare delivery and waste management.
Party leaders described the document as a practical and implementable blueprint for rebuilding Lagos.
The event was attended by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, alongside members of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, state executives, local government chairmen and support groups.
Speaking at the rally, Senator Usman charged the party’s leadership and members in Lagos State to close ranks and work together to deliver victory for its governorship candidate.
She warned that internal division would only undermine the party’s chances, stressing that unity remains the strongest weapon for electoral success.
“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.
Senator Usman expressed confidence that the party, which made significant inroads in Lagos during the 2023 general elections, has the capacity to go all the way in 2027 if members remain united and focused.
Odunaike, a thoroughbred professional, is a distinguished banking and finance expert and a visionary entrepreneur whose accomplishments in agriculture, technology and artificial intelligence have been cited as evidence of his capacity to lead Lagos into the future.
His record as a former Chairman of the Labour Party in Lagos State was also highlighted as a testament to his administrative competence and leadership dexterity.
According to party insiders, he assumed the party’s leadership at a period of internal crisis but successfully reconciled warring factions and repositioned the party for electoral success, a feat they believe he can replicate in governance.
The campaign kick-off ended with chants of “A New Lagos For All” as supporters pledged to take the message to every ward and polling unit across the state.
With the flag-off, the Labour Party has formally joined the race for Alausa, setting the stage for what promises to be a keenly contested governorship battle in Lagos State.