By Jelili Gbadamosi
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, to provide detailed plans for tackling traffic congestion and other infrastructure challenges in the state ahead of the 2027 election.
The APC Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, issued the challenge on Tuesday while reacting to comments made by Rhodes-Vivour during an interview on Arise TV.
Rhodes-Vivour had identified traffic, flooding and housing as some of the major challenges facing Lagos residents, while stressing that the issues affected people across ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.
Responding, Oladejo said identifying the challenges was not enough and urged the ADC candidate to explain how his administration would address them if elected.
He specifically asked Rhodes-Vivour to outline his plans for road infrastructure, funding, mass transportation, implementation timelines and measurable targets.
“Lagos is not a village road network. It is one of Africa’s largest urban and economic centres, with enormous population pressure, intense commercial activity and rapidly expanding transportation demands,” Oladejo said.
The APC spokesman also addressed Rhodes-Vivour’s comments about learning Yoruba ahead of the election, welcoming the move but arguing that language proficiency should be accompanied by a broader understanding of Lagos’ history, culture, institutions and governance structure.
Oladejo said knowledge of the Yoruba language could provide insight into the culture and traditions of the state but maintained that effective governance required an understanding of institutions, budgets, planning and public administration.
He also defended the APC governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, against Rhodes-Vivour’s criticism of his record in public service.
According to Oladejo, Hamzat’s experience includes service as a commissioner and deputy governor, among other professional and public-sector responsibilities.
He argued that while political opponents could criticise Hamzat’s record, such criticism should not be used to dismiss the value of experience in public administration.
Rhodes-Vivour had earlier said during the Arise TV interview that he had engaged a Yoruba teacher and had become increasingly able to campaign in the indigenous language.
He also demonstrated his proficiency during the interview by responding in Yoruba after receiving a greeting from the presenter.
Oladejo said the 2027 contest should focus on the candidates’ understanding of Lagos and the practicality of their proposed policies rather than campaign appearances or slogans.
“2027 is not an audition for television. It is a conversation about the future of Lagos,” he said.
