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 SSA on Digital Media Communication to the Laja Adeoye Campaign Organisation (LACO), Olusegun Taiwo.
He said the decision denied the organisers and young Lagosians an opportunity to engage what he described as “the real challenger to the ruling APC” and to interrogate a different policy direction for the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election. He argued that Adeoye’s growing grassroots visibility and engagement across Lagos had made him an important voice in the opposition space, stressing that political town halls should provide voters with the opportunity to hear, question and compare competing programmes.
According to him, Adeoye’s Àtúntò Èkó 1.0, presented as the RESET Lagos Agenda — Re-Engineering Lagos for Inclusive Prosperity, contains practical proposals targeted at some of the most pressing challenges confronting Lagos residents. He listed housing, traffic congestion, flooding, waste management, unemployment, education, insecurity, electricity, healthcare, infrastructure and the environment among the areas addressed by the manifesto.
He said the agenda goes beyond general campaign promises by proposing reforms aimed at making Lagos more functional, inclusive and economically productive. He highlighted proposals around affordable housing, improved transportation and traffic management, better waste disposal and recycling, flood control and drainage infrastructure, improved healthcare and education, job creation, youth empowerment, technological development, stronger local governance and improved security and emergency response.
He added that the RESET Lagos vision also places emphasis on expanding economic opportunities for young people, supporting small and medium-scale businesses, developing the creative and technology sectors, improving public infrastructure and ensuring that government policies reach communities at the grassroots.
“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,” he said.
Taiwo maintained that the party’s Lagos agenda is connected to its wider national vision under its presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde. He described the RESET Nigeria Mission as a broader framework for rebuilding the country’s economy, institutions and social infrastructure through accountable and people-oriented governance.
According to the media aide, the national agenda places emphasis on economic growth, job creation, human capital development, education, healthcare, security, infrastructure, technology, agriculture, industrialisation and institutional reforms. He said the objective is to create an economy where young Nigerians can acquire skills, secure productive employment, build businesses and participate meaningfully in national development.
He further argued that the Makinde-led APM presidential campaign represents an opportunity to connect the development of Lagos with a wider national economic reset, saying Lagos requires a federal government that understands the importance of infrastructure, security, trade, technology and human capital to the state’s continued prosperity.
He urged Lagosians, particularly young voters, not to lose hope in the possibility of good governance, saying the 2027 election provides an opportunity for citizens to examine the records, policies and programmes of all candidates before making their choice.
He said Adeoye’s campaign would continue to take the Àtúntò Èkó 1.0 message to communities across Lagos, insisting that the objective was to provide residents with a practical alternative to what he described as more than two decades of APC dominance 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 added.
He consequently called on organisers of future political town halls and debates to embrace inclusivity and ensure that all significant candidates are given a fair opportunity to present their programmes and respond to questions from the electorate, particularly young Nigerians whose votes and civic participation could significantly shape the 2027 elections.
