Hamzat promises 25-year mortgages, 4,000 buses if elected Lagos governor
Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has promised to introduce a 25-year mortgage scheme, enforce the one-year rent limit and increase the state’s public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000 if elected governor in 2027.
Hamzat made the promises on Sunday during the Lagos Governorship Debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium at The Hub by IALA, Lekki, Lagos, describing the event as a job interview to demonstrate his preparedness for the position.
The debate featured three other governorship candidates: Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Hamzat cited his previous appointments as commissioner for science and technology and commissioner for works and infrastructure as evidence of his experience.
“I take tonight as a job interview. The first question you ask anybody that wants this type of responsibility is: what have you done to prepare for this job?” he said, adding that respect for citizens, hard work and truthfulness would guide his administration.
On housing, Hamzat promised to introduce a mortgage scheme requiring an initial deposit of 10 per cent, with the balance spread over 25 years. He said the Sanwo-Olu administration had delivered 24 housing estates comprising 18,000 housing units in eight years.
He also pledged to enforce the existing one-year rent limit, saying landlords and estate agents should not demand two or three years’ rent in advance from tenants. On transportation, he promised to increase the public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000 through the deployment of compressed natural gas-powered buses.
The APC candidate also promised to extend the Blue Line rail to Okokomaiko and advance the Green Line towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone. On healthcare, he pledged to increase flagship primary healthcare centres from 87 to 150, with the facilities operating round the clock, while also promising to strengthen security through the establishment of state police.
Hamzat said his proposed administration would implement a 100-point development agenda, known as The Lagos Promise or Ileri Eko, covering transportation, healthcare, education, housing, security, employment and accountability. The debate, organised by Channels Television, TVC News, The PUNCH, TheCable and Vanguard, was the first in the Nigeria Debate Consortium’s national series ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
