Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has challenged opposition parties to present credible policy alternatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, rather than seeking political change for its own sake.
Sanwo-Olu made the call while delivering a lecture titled, “Democracy, Governance and the Lagos Spirit: A Century of Excellence,” as part of activities marking the centenary anniversary of the Yoruba Tennis Club in Onikan, Lagos.
The governor, who is the Southwest Zonal Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, argued that Lagos had benefited from continuity in governance, with successive administrations building on previous development plans.
He said any attempt to disrupt the trajectory without presenting a credible alternative could be counterproductive.
“We must keep insisting that it cannot be changed merely for the sake of change. We must never think we need to tear things up just to prove that we are in control,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“Our challenge to the opposition remains the same – to put forward credible ideas that can compete with ours, instead of seeking change for the sake of change.”
Sanwo-Olu said the values he described as the “Lagos Spirit” — courage, self-reliance, openness and continuous improvement — had influenced the state’s political and development history.
He recalled Lagos’ role in the June 12 pro-democracy struggle, its history of civic activism and the development of indigenous political institutions.
According to him, development in Lagos since the return to democratic rule in 1999 had been driven by continuity, with successive administrations building on the development blueprint initiated by former Governor Bola Tinubu, now President.
The governor identified four principles behind what he called the “Lagos Playbook” for governance: vision, self-reliance, partnership and measuring governance by its impact on residents.
He cited projects such as the Blue and Red rail lines as examples of initiatives developed through successive administrations.
Sanwo-Olu also pointed to reforms in internally generated revenue as evidence of Lagos’ efforts to reduce dependence on federal allocations.
On partnership, he recalled that the founders of the Yoruba Tennis Club raised funds to establish the club after indigenous Lagosians were excluded from colonial clubs.
The governor said the impact of government policies should ultimately be measured by their effect on ordinary residents.
“The true measure of our work in Lagos is whether a doctor or nurse in Alimosho or Ibeju-Lekki can get to work on time, whether a child in Ajegunle has a desk and school books, whether a trader in Mile 12 can get her tomatoes or fish to market before they rot,” he said.
Assessing his administration’s seven-year tenure, Sanwo-Olu said the THEMES Plus agenda had produced interventions across transportation, health, education, technology, the economy, tourism, security and governance.
He listed the establishment of two public universities, the Imota Rice Mill, investments in submarine cable landings and data centres, the construction of a children’s hospital and the Lagos Central Food Security System and Logistics Hub in Ketu-Ereyun among the projects undertaken by his administration.
He said the food hub was designed to improve the aggregation, storage, processing and distribution of food across Lagos.
Speaking on the Yoruba Tennis Club’s centenary, Sanwo-Olu described its establishment as a response by indigenous Lagosians to racial segregation during the colonial era.
He urged the club to preserve its founding values while adapting to changing times, and called for greater involvement of young people, improved documentation of its history and strict standards for admitting new members.
The chairman of the Yoruba Tennis Club, Chief Olawunmi Gasper, reaffirmed the club’s commitment to preserving cultural heritage, promoting fellowship and contributing to Lagos’ social, economic and civic development.