Jimi Agbaje, Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Saturday began his campaign with a formal declaration of his intent to run for office, while kicking against the destruction of his campaign posters by those he alleged as being from the running party.
Agbaje, who said he does not want to promise and under deliver, explained that his campaign will be based of three planks of liveability, economy and the future. He said he would model his administration after former Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande, who in four years in office had so many real achievements that are not cosmetic like those of the ruling party in the state in the last 20 years.
He promised to deliver on better transportation, the light rail project he said has been taking ages and a minimum of a thousand megawatts electricity in four years. Also on his list is quality and affordable healthcare, good education, blue economy with functional water transportation, as well as employment for the youths.
He spoke at Ultima Studios in Lekki, Lagos where he officially presented his running mate, Mrs. Haleemat Busari, a lawyer.
Agbaje said that the 20 per cent unemployment rate of Lagos was largely due to lack of electricity, adding that the state needed 3,000 megawatts to drive micro small, medium and large scale industries.
This is the third time he is running for the coveted seat of Lagos, which he likened to a man in the quest for the heart of a beautiful lady, who will not give up. For him though, the whole idea is to serve the people of Lagos.
Alleging that money that would have been used to develop the state over the years had ended in private pockets, he said his government would liberate Lagos from those he said have held the state on its jugular and bring about true democracy.
“Our youths are emigrating daily to Canada in search of employment. Under my government, I promise that there will be jobs for the youths. As governor, I promise to provide a minimum of 1000 megawatts of power. I know that Lagos needs at least 3000 megawatts but I do not want to promise and underdeliver. That is why I said I will ensure Lagos produces at least 1000 megawatts.
“I will ensure that our people have quality healthcare that is funded through insurance. We will revive public education in the state so that even the children of the poor can have good education.”
Agbaje told reporters after he made his declaration that his campaign billboards had been vandalised overnight before the day prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for campaigns to begin.
“It is the first day of campaign. We are looking forward to a campaign based on issues, a campaign where the people of Lagos will decide who thy want to vote for. In the last three months or so, the ruling party has had their billboards spread all over Lagos even when INEC had laid specific guidelines and nothing happened to their billboards. We said we will wait until the official beginning of campaign to go and put our billboards on.
“I think it is an act of cowardice to remove our billboards. We strongly object to this. And I have reported this matter to the commissioner of police.
“Lagos has not been known to be violent. They must allow us to speak. Those who were putting up our posters again overnight, were beating up. The posters we put up in the early hours of this morning, have been damaged again. That is not the way for Lagos. Campaign must be clean, nonviolent. I am a man of peace. But a stage is reached when you push me to the wall, I will have no choice but to react. I ask the ruling party to behave themselves, except of course, they have a lot to hide”.