2027: Lagos APM faults exclusion of Laja Adeoye from Gen Z town hall

The exclusion of the Lagos State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Prince Laja Adeoye, from a recent Gen Z Town Hall has been described as a “missed opportunity” by the Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media Communication to the Laja Adeoye Campaign Organisation (LACO), Olusegun Taiwo.

Taiwo said the decision denied the organisers and young Lagosians an opportunity to engage Adeoye and examine his policy proposals ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

He said political town halls should provide voters with an opportunity to hear from, question and compare candidates and their programmes, adding that Adeoye’s grassroots campaign and engagement across the state had made his participation relevant to the political conversation.

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According to him, Adeoye’s Àtúntò Èkó 1.0, presented as the RESET Lagos Agenda — Re-Engineering Lagos for Inclusive Prosperity, contains proposals addressing some of the challenges confronting residents.

He listed housing, traffic congestion, flooding, waste management, unemployment, education, insecurity, electricity, healthcare, infrastructure and environmental management among the issues covered by the agenda.

Taiwo said the programme proposed measures on affordable housing, transportation and traffic management, waste disposal and recycling, flood control and drainage, healthcare and education, job creation, youth empowerment, technology, local governance, security and emergency response.

He added that the agenda also focuses on expanding economic opportunities for young people, supporting small and medium-scale enterprises, developing the creative and technology sectors, improving public infrastructure and strengthening grassroots governance.

He said, “The people of Lagos deserve to know what every candidate is bringing to the table. A Gen Z Town Hall should be a platform where young Lagosians can ask difficult questions about jobs, housing, transportation, education, security, technology and the future of the state.

“By excluding Prince Laja Adeoye, the organisers, for reasons best known to them, denied Lagosians the opportunity to hear directly from a candidate with a clear alternative programme for the state. It was, in our view, a missed opportunity for meaningful democratic engagement.”

Taiwo said the APM’s Lagos agenda was linked to its wider national vision under its presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde.

He described the RESET Nigeria Mission as a framework focused on economic growth, job creation, human capital development, education, healthcare, security, infrastructure, technology, agriculture, industrialisation and institutional reforms.

According to him, the objective is to create an economy in which young Nigerians can acquire skills, secure productive employment, build businesses and participate in national development.

He further said the APM presidential campaign sought to connect the development of Lagos with a wider national economic programme, arguing that issues such as infrastructure, security, trade, technology and human capital development had implications for the state’s economy.

Taiwo urged Lagosians, particularly young voters, to examine the records, policies and programmes of all candidates before deciding whom to support in the 2027 election.

He said Adeoye’s campaign would continue to take the Àtúntò Èkó 1.0 message to communities across Lagos, describing it as an alternative to the prevailing political order in the state.

“Lagosians should not lose hope. The RESET Lagos agenda is about bringing succour to the people and creating a Lagos where government works for everyone, not just a privileged few. We believe Lagos can be better, and we believe Nigeria can be reset.

“APM is presenting an alternative. Prince Laja Adeoye is ready to provide purposeful leadership in Lagos, while Engr. Seyi Makinde is prepared to lead the national reset. Ultimately, the people will decide, but they must first be given access to the different ideas and programmes competing for their mandate,” Taiwo said.

He called on organisers of future political town halls and debates to ensure broad participation by candidates and provide voters, particularly young Nigerians, with opportunities to hear and question those seeking their votes in the 2027 elections.