1. Who is Adelaja Adeoye and why does he want the Lagos governorship seat?
I am Prince Adelaja Adeoye, popularly known as Laja Adeoye. Born on May 2, 1981, I am a proud Lagosian with deep roots in the state through my Ijebu heritage in Lagos East (Ikorodu and Epe) and Awori lineage in Lagos West (Isolo), where I have lived, worked, and built my entire career.
I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics (Education) from the University of Lagos and a Master’s Degree in Property Development and Management from Lead City University. My professional journey spans banking (United Bank for Africa and Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank, where I was honoured as Mr. Keystone Bank in 2011), oil and gas at the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), and entrepreneurship as Group Managing Director and CEO of Fendini Group, a leading real estate development firm behind landmark projects like Rayfield Gardens City Estate.
I am also a philanthropist through the Laja Adeoye Foundation, which focuses on education, youth empowerment, healthcare, and community welfare. Politically, I joined the PDP in Lagos in 2009, served as pioneer Publicity Secretary of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Lagos State and later as its National Publicity Secretary, and returned to the PDP in 2021. I contested for the House of Representatives in Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency II in 2023.
I want the Lagos governorship seat because Lagos deserves better a government run with private-sector efficiency, transparency, and genuine people-centred leadership. After years of watching our state’s immense potential hindered by governance failures, I am on a deliberate rescue mission. My Better Lagos Agenda 2027 – Atunto Èkó 1.0 (Re-Engineering Lagos for Inclusive Prosperity) is not just another manifesto; it is a comprehensive, actionable blueprint that will transform Lagos into a truly prosperous, inclusive, and world-class city for all residents.
2. Why should voters trust you? Why should they believe you will be different in a good way from previous governors?
Voters should trust me because my entire life has been defined by results, not rhetoric. I have built successful businesses that create real jobs and deliver quality infrastructure. I have led teams in banking and real estate with integrity and innovation. Through my foundation, I have already been delivering education, skills training, and healthcare support to ordinary Lagosians not as a politician seeking votes, but as a citizen who believes leadership is service.
What sets me apart is my private-sector DNA combined with deep political experience and a clear, measurable agenda. Previous administrations have delivered no people’s oriented visible projects, and Lagos still grapples with housing deficits, unemployment, poor public education and healthcare, flooding, and insecurity and accountability problems. My administration will be different because it will be results-driven and accountable: we will publish quarterly performance reports, ensure local government autonomy, fight corruption head-on, and focus on six pillars security, economy, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and environment with specific, time-bound targets such as 1 million new jobs, free secondary education rollout, 25 new health centres, and 7-minute emergency response across all 20 LGAs.
Lagosians will not just be promised change; they will see and feel it every year from 2027 to 2030.
3. Do you think there’ll be a free and fair election in the country and indeed in Lagos going by the 2023 election experience especially in Lagos?
I remain optimistic but realistic. Nigerians, especially Lagosians, have the right to free, fair, and credible elections. The 2023 experience in Lagos marked by violence, voter intimidation, and logistical challenges in several areas exposed serious gaps that must never be repeated. For 2027, we must demand full independence and professionalism from INEC, enhanced security for voters, and real-time result transmission from polling units.
As a democrat, I believe the people of Lagos are ready for change. No amount of manipulation can stop a determined electorate that wants a better Lagos. My campaign is already building broad-based alliances across all demographics precisely because we trust the will of the people.
4. What are your thoughts on the INEC and Senate interpretation of the electoral reforms on transmitting of electoral results?
The electoral reforms were designed to enhance transparency through electronic transmission and collation of results. Any interpretation or implementation that weakens this or allows manual overrides that create room for manipulation undermines public confidence and the integrity of our democracy. INEC must adhere strictly to the spirit and letter of the law: results must be transmitted directly from polling units in real time. The Senate and National Assembly should resist any attempt to dilute these provisions. Credible elections are the foundation of good governance; anything less is unacceptable.
5. Do you have any special plans for the Igbo electorate residing in Lagos considering that they constitute a considerable number?
During my administration, we will have a ONE Lagos, not just a center of excellence but a center of unity, and every resident Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, or from any other ethnic group is a stakeholder whose contributions make our state great. My Atunto Èkó 1.0 agenda is deliberately inclusive and ethnicity-blind. It focuses on shared prosperity: affordable housing, massive job creation (over 1 million new opportunities), SME grants, tech hubs, improved security, and quality education and healthcare that benefit every community. Igbo residents in markets like Alaba, Ladipo, and across Lagos Island and Mainland will see direct gains through urban regeneration, better infrastructure, and economic policies that empower businesses regardless of origin. We will foster unity, not division.
Lagos works best when every hardworking resident feels safe, valued, and prosperous.
6. When you say you are on a rescue mission in Lagos, what exactly do you mean because some people may argue that the APC government has been good for Lagos?
When I say we are on a rescue mission, I mean Lagos is in urgent need of saving from the cycle of governance failures that have left too many residents behind. Successive APC administrations have recorded no single pro-people infrastructural projects, and they have also presided over persistent housing crises, high unemployment, dysfunctional public schools and hospitals, flooding that destroys lives and property every rainy season, extortion by officials, lack of transparency in procurement, and a widening gap between the elite and the masses.
Lagosians know the truth: the cost of living is unbearable for many, insecurity persists, and opportunities are not reaching the average family. My rescue mission is about ending this cycle, re-engineering the state for inclusive prosperity, and delivering a government that works for all Lagosians not just a privileged few. The Better Lagos Agenda 2027 offers concrete solutions where previous approaches have fallen short.
7. Finally, what do you have to say concerning the unending PDP crisis in the country? Do you believe the party has a chance in 2027 considering the way Wike and others have brutalized and balkanized the once strongest party in Nigeria?
The PDP has faced serious internal challenges, and I have never shied away from acknowledging them. However, I remain a firm believer in the party’s foundational values of democracy, federalism, and people-centred development. What we are witnessing is not the end of the PDP but a necessary phase of rebuilding through internal democracy, genuine reconciliation, and focus on the people.
In Lagos State, the PDP is united, energised, and focused. Our recent engagements with the State Working Committee, local government chairmen, and critical stakeholders show growing momentum and consensus. Nigerians are tired of one-party dominance. If we stay true to our roots, present credible candidates with clear visions like the Better Lagos Agenda 2027, and mobilise aggressively at the grassroots, the PDP not only has a chance in 2027, we have the winning chance. Lagos is ready for change, and under the PDP banner, we will deliver it.
Visit www.adelajaadeoye.com
