Nigeria: Lagos state prepares to vote for governor

Nearly a month after the presidential elections, Lagos will head to the polls on Saturday to either retain its incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, or elect a new one.

The governor elect will have to tackle numerous issues such as security, traffic and corruption.

“For Lagos, I think majorly what we need to work on is security and the traffic. There is a whole lot of traffic in Lagos, you can imagine leaving home at 6am and you are getting to your office by 9am? Then maybe probably in the evening if you’re going home again, you’re spending hours in the traffic, they need to work on that,” says Stephen Chukwueke, financial analyst. 

As the most populous city in Nigeria and one of the major economic hubs on the continent, its residents have numerous issues they wish for the governor elect to address.

“I would appreciate if they would increase or increase the security rate in the state also use this Agbero of a thing, we know it’s everywhere, but we just need a reduction of them, they are helpful in another way, they are harmful. So, at least a reduction of them will go a long way for the state,” details Stephen Chukwueke, financial analyst. 

The election for new governors for 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states is part of Nigeria’s general elections for four-year single terms for major political positions.

Accoding to political analyst, Wahab Shittu, the next governor will have to be one with character as Lagos is the nerve system of Nigeria.

“Lagos is a microcosm of Nigeria. Lagos is so strategic because it is not only just the political capital, once the political capital of Nigeria but also the economic and commercial nerve centre. Lagos has everything. Lagos defines us as a people so, you cannot just put just any character to govern Lagos: you have to put a character that is obsessed with the theory of competence, of character, of capacity, of integrity," explains the political analyst.

During presidential elections, President Bola Tinubu had lost to Peter Obi in his home state of Lagos. Losing Lagos could erode Tinubu’s influence in the state of more than 20 million people sending a signal of political vulnerability.