Governance in a complex megacity such as Lagos cannot be reduced to rhetorical comparisons or partisan nostalgia. It is an evolving continuum built on the efforts of successive administrations. The recent opinion article by Mobolaji Sanusi, a former managing director of the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), attempts to project speculative political alignments, reframe historical governance narratives, and introduce unfounded insinuations regarding the working relationship within the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration.
While the publication is acknowledged as an exercise of free expression, it is necessary to correct certain misleading interpretations, unfounded assumptions, and politically charged assertions that do not reflect the institutional reality of governance in Lagos State. The suggestion of tension, rivalry, or institutional dissonance between the governor of Lagos State and his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, is entirely unfounded and inconsistent with observable governance practice.
Lagos State operates a structured executive governance system anchored on constitutional responsibilities, collective cabinet responsibility, and clearly defined functional portfolios. The governor and his deputy function as part of a unified executive council. Policy formulation and implementation are collaborative and institutional, not personality-driven. The deputy governor's office is integrally involved in strategic governance delivery, particularly in coordination, supervision, and assigned sectors. Any attempt to construct a narrative of division is speculative and not supported by administrative facts or operational evidence.
The article's description of the present administration as lacking 'legacies' or being 'drab' is a subjective and vacuous political opinion, rather than an empirical assessment. A more balanced evaluation would consider measurable governance outcomes, including the expansion in infrastructure across transportation, housing, and road networks, reforms in urban planning, and public service delivery, continued investment in digital governance systems, education infrastructure development, revenue optimisation frameworks, and the strengthening of security collaboration mechanisms and emergency response capacity.
Notable projects include the Opebi-Ojota Link Bridge, the Red Line and Blue Line rail that have transformed commuting, and the beautiful ferries built by young engineers. The iconic Tolu Group of Schools, 332 school buildings, two new universities, and several other projects across all sectors. Twenty-three housing estates and hundreds of roads have been completed. The New Massey Children Hospital nearing completion is the largest pediatric hospital in West Africa. The food and logistics hub in Ketu Ereyun, Epe, will be the largest in Sub Saharan Africa when completed.
Though we are in a political season with its characteristic peculiarities, governance in a complex megacity such as Lagos cannot be reduced to rhetorical comparisons or partisan nostalgia. It is an evolving continuum built on the efforts of successive administrations. Tayo Ogunbiyi is the director, Public Enlightenment and Community Relations, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.
