2027: Hamzat promises 25-year mortgage, one-year rent limit, 4,000 public buses

Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has promised to introduce a 25-year mortgage scheme, enforce the existing one-year rent limit and quadruple the state’s public bus fleet if elected governor in 2027.

Hamzat made the pledges on Sunday during the Lagos Governorship Debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium at The Hub by IALA, Lekki, Lagos.

The debate featured three other candidates: Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Describing the debate as an opportunity for voters to assess his competence and preparedness for leadership, Hamzat likened the event to a job interview.

“I have a job interview tonight. The first question you ask anybody that wants this type of responsibility is: what have you done to prepare for this job?” he said.

To establish his credentials, the APC candidate highlighted his previous appointments as Commissioner for Science and Technology and Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.

He said he supervised the development of Lagos State’s residents and structural database while serving as Commissioner for Science and Technology and led the team responsible for delivering the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge during his tenure as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.

Hamzat identified respect for citizens, hard work and truthfulness as the three principles that would guide his administration.

While defending the achievements of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, in which he has served as deputy governor for nearly eight years, he acknowledged that there were areas requiring improvement.

“I am comfortable with a lot of things the Lagos government has achieved, I also know that there are gaps, and that is the judgment I bring to the table,” he said.

READ ALSO; Hamzat unveils 100-point manifesto, pledges 4,000 buses, new hospitals, rail expansion

Addressing concerns about the rising cost of living and economic hardship confronting residents, Hamzat identified transportation, housing and food as major areas requiring government intervention.

He attributed some of the economic difficulties to what he described as a corrective phase in Nigeria’s finances, insisting that the government must deliberately introduce measures to ease the burden on residents.

On housing, the APC candidate said the Sanwo-Olu administration had delivered 24 housing estates comprising 18,000 housing units in the last eight years.

He promised to introduce a mortgage arrangement that would allow prospective homeowners to make an initial deposit of 10 per cent and spread the remaining payment over 25 years.

According to him, the initiative would make homeownership more accessible by removing the burden of paying the full cost of a property upfront.

His proposal contrasts with that of Rhodes-Vivour, who promised to deliver 100,000 housing units within four years through initiatives including luxury taxation, development of the eastern foreshore and decentralisation of housing projects.

Hamzat also pledged to enforce the existing one-year rent limit under the Lagos State Tenancy Law, 2011, to stop landlords and estate agents from demanding two or three years’ rent in advance.

He argued that tenants should not be compelled to pay several years’ rent upfront, particularly when most workers do not receive their salaries years in advance.

“So the next chapter for Lagos is to enforce, to make sure. So people should not be asked two years, three years ahead because nobody gets a salary three years ahead,” he said.

Section 4 of the Lagos State Tenancy Law, 2011, already prohibits landlords and their agents from demanding more than one year’s rent in advance from a new tenant. Hamzat’s proposal therefore focuses on ensuring compliance with the existing provision.

On transportation, he promised to increase the state’s public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000, with the deployment of compressed natural gas-powered buses to improve mass transit and reduce commuting difficulties.

He also pledged to develop an integrated transportation network involving roads, rail and waterways, while extending the Blue Line rail to Okokomaiko and advancing the Green Line towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

Rhodes-Vivour, on his part, proposed connecting all the rail lines within two and a half years through a private-sector-driven approach.

In healthcare, Hamzat promised to increase the number of flagship primary healthcare centres in Lagos from 87 to 150, with the facilities operating round the clock.

He also pledged to expand hospital infrastructure and improve access to medical services across the state.

On security, the APC candidate outlined plans to strengthen the state’s security architecture, including the establishment of state police. He also identified flooding and waste management as critical challenges requiring attention.

Hamzat said his proposed administration would operate on a 100-point development agenda covering transportation, healthcare, education, housing, security, employment and accountability.

The blueprint, titled The Lagos Promise or Ileri Eko, is structured around seven pillars and is intended to guide the state’s next phase of development.

The debate, the first in the Nigeria Debate Consortium’s national series ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election, was organised by Channels Television, TVC News and The PUNCH, among other media partners.

The candidates used the platform to present their policy positions on transportation, infrastructure, security, housing, education, healthcare, job creation and economic development.