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 state’s one-year rent limit and expand the public bus fleet to 4,000 if elected governor in 2027.

Hamzat made the pledges on Sunday at the Lagos Governorship Debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium at The Hub by IALA, Lekki, where he described the event as a job interview and an opportunity for voters to assess his preparedness to lead the state.

Also read: Mourinho wins La Liga manager of the month award

“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.

The debate featured three other 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, who has served as deputy governor under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, defended the administration’s record while acknowledging that some challenges remained unresolved.

“I am comfortable with a lot of things Lagos government has achieved, I also know that there are gaps, and that is the judgment I bring to the table,” he said.

He identified transportation, housing and food as major concerns for residents, promising targeted government intervention to ease the pressure on households.

On housing, Hamzat said the state government had delivered 24 housing estates comprising 18,000 housing units in the last eight years.

He proposed a mortgage arrangement requiring prospective homeowners to make an initial deposit of 10 per cent, with the outstanding balance spread over 25 years.

The scheme, he said, would reduce the financial burden on residents who cannot afford to pay the full cost of a house upfront.

His proposal came amid competing housing plans from the opposition.

Rhodes-Vivour promised to deliver 100,000 housing units within four years, with funding measures that include luxury taxation and the development of the eastern foreshore.

Hamzat also pledged to enforce the existing restriction on advance rent payments, saying tenants should not be compelled to pay two or three years’ rent before occupying a property.

“Nobody gets salary three years ahead,” he said, arguing that the government must ensure landlords and estate agents comply with the law.

Section 4 of the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 prohibits landlords and their agents from demanding or receiving more than one year’s rent in advance from a new tenant.

The provision also sets limits for sitting tenants, depending on their tenancy arrangements.

On transportation, the APC candidate proposed an integrated system connecting roads, rail and waterways.

He said the state’s public bus fleet would be expanded to 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered buses, with a target of moving one million passengers daily.

He also highlighted plans to expand water transportation through 77 electric ferries and extend existing rail infrastructure, including the Blue Line towards Okokomaiko and the Green Line towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

On healthcare, Hamzat promised to increase the number of flagship primary healthcare centres providing round-the-clock services from 87 to 150.

He also pledged to expand hospital infrastructure and improve access to medical services across the state.

Security, flooding and waste management featured among the other areas he identified for attention.

He expressed support for strengthening the state’s security architecture, including the establishment of state police.

The candidate said the proposals would form part of a 100-point development agenda, known as The Lagos Promise or Ileri Eko.

The blueprint is built around seven pillars and covers transportation, healthcare, education, housing, security, employment and accountability.

The debate also exposed differences in how the candidates intend to address Lagos’ development challenges.

While Hamzat emphasised continuity and expansion of existing infrastructure, opposition candidates called for changes to aspects of the state’s approach to housing, transportation, flooding and education.

The event was the first in the Nigeria Debate Consortium’s series ahead of the 2027 elections.