By Henry Obetta

Former Lagos governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Funso Doherty, has declared his intention to run for the Lagos State governorship seat on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, at the 2027 general elections.

He made the declaration on Friday at the Freedom Park Old Prison Ground with party members and supporters present.

Doherty said that he decided to vie for the Lagos governorship election because he observed that the state’s system that nurtured him was decaying and needed urgent fixing.

The governorship hopeful stressed the need for leadership with integrity, capacity, vision and people-centeredness.

According to him, Lagos State has energetic residents who are diligent but yet denied the right to modest living.

He said: “Even though Lagos, blessed as we are by the Almighty God, can have enough for all, today, it is being governed to offer a great deal for a very few and very little for most. This is what I have determined must change.”

Speaking on the current administration, he stated that the achievements of the ruling government were pale compared to what is possible with the vast resources of the state.
He stated: “The gleaming towers of banana island draw attention away from a harsh and depressing
reality of deprivation and lack in education, health, jobs, housing, water, power and so on for most citizens. This is despite trillions spent every year. Lagos State’s budget for 2026 is more than N4 trillion.
“For the past 26 years, we have been told that our mounting housing deficit doesn’t matter. We’ve been told that the anxiety parents feel about failing schools is an illusion.
“We have watched as our young men, instead of being given real opportunities, are systematically turned into tools for political violence. They are sold a false dream—that if they serve loyally, they too can one day rise to become powerful, but corrupt bosses.
“And when all else fails—when the schools crumble, when the floods wash away our life’s work, when our young people spend half their lives in gruelling traffic, even worse off when they’re robbed as the traffic grinds to a halt – we’ve been told that our problems are somebody else’s fault.”
Doherty urged members, supporters and party stakeholders to unite and tackle the inconsistencies in the education, healthcare and infrastructure sectors of the state in order to ensure convenient living for all residents.
He said: “So let us come together to set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Because we understand that real opportunities begin with investment in education.
“Real opportunity means investing — in strong, free, and quality early and basic education. Real opportunity means investing in technical and vocational education so that young people who choose not to go to university can gain meaningful employment and build dignified livelihoods.
“Let us finally, after all these years, tackle our healthcare crisis. Let us provide free healthcare for our children including drugs and ensure it is compassionate and properly funded – not as a campaign talking point, but as a governing priority. We can do that.
“Let us deliver convenient and affordable mass transit that connects our urban centres by road, rail and water. Because we know white elephant roads can never replace the solutions of mass transit.
“And above all else, let us be the ones that finally demand an honest government. Because every naira stolen from this state is a naira stolen from a child’s classroom, from a patient’s hospital bed, from a family’s future. Let us take the work we started, demanding accountability by combing through the budget, exposing wasteful spending and corruption.”
He also noted that the campaign was not for him but for the interest of Lagos residents and that the candidacy represented the people’s hopes and dreams.