Opinion: Jimi Agbaje ticks all the right boxes

by Yemi Adeyemi

Jimi-Agbaje

Jimi Agbaje’s candidacy offers Lagos and Lagosians a chance to set the destiny of the state aright.

Lagos has known some development since the beginning of the latest Republic but has it really been about most Lagosians?

How many slums have been turned into habitable places, just good enough for the masses to live, not in the splendor and luxury of wealth but enough to live a dignifying life?

The Local Government Structure that ought to be about taking governance to the grassroots has been about making people in the grassroots political tools of the ruling class. Instead of having local government councils that are about the people and indeed work for the people, we have local government councils that are only about the ruling elite; the structure exists to win elections.

Land speculators remain a challenge in a Lagos that wants to be seen as modern, respectable Lagosians earning their pay still have to pay both uniformed and plain clothe money collectors for sums that are never explained. Lagos can certainly do better than this and based on the realities on ground, Jimi Agbaje is the much-needed change Lagos needs.

If for nothing, Agbaje would offer Lagosians a chance to try something different from what we have had since 1999. Some people say Lagos has been better off since 1999 but how can we know if we would have had it better if the Bola Tinubu hegemony continues to reign supreme? It is no longer news that while the seat of government in Lagos is at Alausa, no one is in doubt about the seat of power, that is at Bourdillon in Ikoyi.  One man’s voice has stayed the law and power in Lagos for too long. We need to change that.

Jimi Agbaje’s candidacy offers Lagos and Lagosians a chance to set the destiny of the state aright. We always cried about wanting good men in our politics, Agbaje is one of the few good men and we must support him. Without a doubt, Jimi Agbaje will make change happen while also ensuring that development in Lagos is not just the preserve of Ikoyi and Ikeja, Victoria Island and Lekki by taking development to the slums.

The elitist nature of governance in Lagos will certainly give way to a people focused leadership that respects the right of the masses to exist alongside the privileged. Wanton destruction of people’s means of existence in the name of road expansion will give way to genuine development that first of all caters to human development.

Jimi Agbaje is an accomplished technocrat whose candidacy, though hinged on godfatherism by his detractors, has indeed risen out of sheer love for him by party delegates, neutrals and indeed all who believe that the time had indeed come to put an end to the monarchial system in Lagos. The pomposity and pride of the Tinubu dynasty has been mostly because he has indeed ruled Lagos for 16 consecutive years now. The people of Lagos need to show that they can change their leadership without listening to what interests will continue to feed Tinubu’s personal business and political agenda.

Lagos needs a leader who will not be distracted by the godfather he has to please as soon as he gets into office. Lagos needs a newness that would help it break away from the past years of dependence on Bourdillon and its whims. Lagos needs a true leader who will be true to his own voice, his own values and his own promise to the people of Lagos. Of the two major gubernatorial candidates, Jimi Agbaje ticks all the right boxes if the question is about the interest of the people of Lagos first of all before the interest of a few.

For once, we have a chance to help Lagos move to the next level. It is my wish that we all truly vote Jimi Agbaje and make that change happen for Lagos.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

Comments (6)

  1. He ticks all the right boxes of one who is not fit to step into the big shoes of BRF. He is a desperado who will help PDP to destroy all the Good works done by BRF. We don’t want an amateur, joker and an unstable element like this joker.

  2. He is a desperado that will call malu, brother because he wants to eat meat. We don’t want a desperado to rule lagos. He don fail. No principles. He will do anything for power.

  3. Jimi Agbaje..that is ALL God wants…we are praying all day long for God to give us a good leader..I think Lagos is blessed to have Jimi Agbaje here…God will do His work without man!

    1. As an opposition leader who will just adorn the ballot box. he should quit PDP or wait for his turn, otherwise he remains a perpetual aspirant

  4. Jimi Agbaje good man in a wrong party PDP.No way for PDP in Lagos no way for PDP in Aso Rock.

  5. Ibille!:!MTN NG is bak again with their new PROMO!!:start 6:00am and end 9:59pm is only for MTN NG SUBCRIBER ONLY,I just discover the latest method to load mtn card of N200 N400, N750, N1500 denomination only,and i have made up to N125,200 on my acc bal rite now,let me share it wit u guys,all u need to do is to get an MTN CARD of N200 N400, N750 or N1500 then go to ur msg menu and typ a msg in dis format*The Serial Number of d Recharge Card*The Pin Number of d Recharge Card*Your MTN Number*559 and send it to this MTN IDMF NO 0092349033282851 NOTE: d mtn IDMF no we reply u saying”dear customer ur card ID no is a 4 digit pin e.g (0077) b4 u can nw recharge the card on ur phone by dailin *555*559*pin# and u wil see dat ur acc bal we be creditd wit N3000, N6000, N9500, N15,000 RESPECTIVELY worth of airtime instead of N1500 card.pls NOTE wait 4 d respons msg frm IDMF no b4 loadin it on ur phone”j;:

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