By John Attah
The Lagos State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for the 2027 election, Rotimi Odunaike, has officially flagged off his campaign with a pledge to build “A New Lagos for All”, promising to place residents at the centre of his administration if elected.
Odunaike made the pledge at the campaign flag-off in Ikeja, Lagos, where supporters of the party gathered for the event.
The development was announced in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Ken Eluma Asogwa.
Odunaike criticised the pattern of governance in Lagos since the return to democracy in 1999, alleging that the state had largely benefited a privileged few at the expense of the wider population.
He also expressed concern over infrastructure decay and inadequate social amenities across the state, promising to begin addressing the challenges from his first day in office if elected.
“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 said.
The campaign flag-off also featured the presentation of Odunaike’s 162-page manifesto, titled Our Covenant With the People of Lagos, which the party said outlines a step-by-step approach to addressing the state’s challenges.
The event was attended by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, and members of the party’s National Working Committee.
Usman urged the party’s leadership in Lagos to resolve internal differences and work together to support Odunaike’s campaign.
“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.
The party described Odunaike as a professional with experience in banking and finance, entrepreneurship, agriculture, technology and artificial intelligence, arguing that his background would inform his approach to governing Lagos.
It also cited his tenure as former Lagos State chairman of the Labour Party, saying he assumed leadership during a period of internal crisis and worked to reconcile opposing factions and reposition the party.
The campaign statement did not provide further details of the manifesto’s proposals or their projected costs.
