Coalition holds debate for Lagos gubernatorial candidates February

All is set for a coalition group, The City that Works Alliance, to hold a debate for the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of six political parties in Lagos State.

The debate, to be held separately for the deputy governorship candidates on Thursday, February 7 and governorship candidates on Thursday, February 21, will be broadcast live on Lagos TV, Traffic Radio, Eko FM, Women Radio and many other popular media stations in the state.

The Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State chapter, Dr Qasim Akinreti, made this known, on Friday, at a news conference in Ikeja.

He said the central goal of the debate is to enable Lagos residents and voters to further understand what each of the candidates has in store as plans for them to chose the right and best candidates that will impact their lives and that of the state meaningfully if given the mandate through the next general elections.

He listed 11 professional groups that formed the alliance to include Nigerian Bar Association (Ikorodu branch), Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development (University of Lagos), Nigerian Labour Congress, Enough is Enough, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (Lagos chapter), Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, Radio TV Theater and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), Henrich Boll Stiftung Nigeria, and NUJ (Lagos State chapter).

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Akinreti said the group restricted the debate to six political parties which include the Advanced for Democracy Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressive Party, All Peoples Congress and People’s Democratic Party at least for now because of their enormous strength, manifestoes, structures and importantly public opinions and filling of candidates for the house of assembly and the governorship seats.

According to him, this is the way the alliance considered helpful to support governance process that can make urban services and infrastructure work for residents of Lagos and the visitors.

 “So, through the debate, Lagos people will understand the thoughts, plans, and agenda of an individual candidate aspiring for the leadership position of the state and in turn aggregate the outcomes for future governance for whoever that emerge as winners in the elections,” he stressed.

Akinreti said the debate would focus on such areas as housing, human rights, education, health, physically challenge, gender, governance, local government, labour, informal economy, youth and development, transport, taxation, waste management, market group and so forth with all representatives from across human endeavours participating.

He said the coalition believes that Lagos must work for all inhabitants and visitors, hence the debate.