The Lagos State governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Doherty, has described Lagos as an “inhospitable” and “hostile” environment for young people.

Doherty made the remarks on Thursday during a town hall meeting with Lagos residents, where he said young people should not be regarded as merely the “leaders of tomorrow,” but as the people who constitute the Lagos of today.

According to him, Gen Z accounts for about 25 per cent of Lagos’ population, while millennials make up another 25 per cent, with Gen Alpha bringing the younger population to about 80 per cent.

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“So, in essence, Lagos is you and you are Lagos,” he said.

Doherty questioned why Lagos should feel hostile to young people despite their significant presence in the state.

“So why is it then that Lagos looks so inhospitable to the young? Why is it that it feels like a hostile environment to the young?” he asked.

He cited challenges in education and housing, among others, as factors affecting young Lagosians.

Doherty said many young people feel compelled to leave the state because of the difficulties they face, adding that government should focus on making Lagos attractive enough for them to stay.

“It’s not surprising that many feel they have to leave,” he said. “And, you know, as leaders, we can’t tell them not to leave. What we need to do is to make the place attractive for them to stay.”

The NDC candidate also spoke about what he described as the social contract between government and citizens, arguing that citizens are expected to work, pay taxes and fulfil their responsibilities while government provides the conditions necessary for them to thrive.

He asked attendees whether they believed the government was fulfilling its side of the social contract, saying he saw few hands raised in response.

Doherty also highlighted Lagos’ internally generated revenue, citing information he attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

He claimed that when five states — Delta, Rivers, Ogun, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory — are separated from the remaining 31 states, Lagos still has more internally generated revenue than the 31 states combined, and also more than the five put together.

He said the state’s resources make the issue of the social contract particularly important.

Doherty outlined his vision of a Lagos where no child is denied education because their parents cannot afford it, no child dies because their parents cannot afford medication, and residents do not have to rely on unsafe transportation or experience abusive interactions with government.

“That is my vision for Lagos,” he said.
He added that his vision would be backed by specific policy actions, announcing that his campaign would release its manifesto to the public the following week.

According to Doherty, the manifesto would contain 34 specific actions that his administration would commit to implementing during its first term if elected.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has urged Nigerians to rise in unity, reject inducement and intimidation, and take responsibility for the country’s future at the ballot box as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence anniversary.

Turaki made the call in an Independence Day message dated October 1, 2026, titled “Nigeria @66: Like Our Forebears, Let’s Not Miss the Time.”

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He said every anniversary of Nigeria’s independence serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the country’s forebears in pursuit of a nation they envisioned as a place of prosperity, equality, equity and justice.

According to him, the struggle for self-rule was not achieved without resistance, noting that when the opportunity for independence came, Nigeria’s forebears rejected inducements and resisted threats designed to defeat their objective.

He said they did not delay or miss their moment.

Turaki said Nigerians must draw from that example as the country turns 66, stressing that it is now the responsibility of citizens to rise and act.

“As Nigeria turns 66, it is our turn to rise.”
He called on Nigerians to rise in unison, shun inducement and stand firm against intimidation.

The PDP chairman said citizens must, “now, more than ever,” remain determined to elect, at the earliest opportunity, a government that will build a Nigeria that works for all and not just some.

He said such a government should create a nation characterised by security, economic opportunity, unity and justice.

According to Turaki, the responsibility for achieving that objective rests with Nigerians through their participation at the ballot box.

“That responsibility now rests on us at the ballot box. This is our own time, and we must not let it pass.”

He urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity to shape the country’s future, drawing inspiration from the generation that fought for self-rule and refused to allow inducements or threats to derail its pursuit of independence.

Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) Vice Presidential Candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has identified insecurity, education and the economy as three major areas that must be addressed for Nigeria to make progress.

Amaechi also pledged to resign if Nigerians fail to begin feeling a positive change within one year of the ADC taking office.

He made the remarks during an interview on AIT while discussing the state of the Nigerian economy, poverty, insecurity and the political agenda of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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According to him, addressing the country’s major challenges would also require a significant reduction in corruption because, in his view, funds meant for development are being diverted into private pockets.

“You must deal with three things: You must deal with insecurity, you must deal with education, you must deal with the economy, before this country can progress,” Amaechi said.

He added: “And to do all that, corruption will have to come down because there is no money for anybody to steal. The reason why these things are not being done is that the money that would be used to fund these things are in private pockets.”

Amaechi also questioned what he described as the benefits Nigerians have received from the removal of fuel subsidy under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“What is the benefit—okay, let’s even say, okay, President Tinubu removed subsidy. What are the benefits of subsidy? The subsidy money is in private pockets, and they are celebrating,” he said.

The ADC vice presidential candidate further contrasted what he described as celebrations among some people in southern Nigeria with the hardship being experienced in parts of the North.

“That’s why you see people in the South throwing parties, then in the North, people are… people are dying,” he said.

Amaechi, however, clarified that he was not claiming that northern governors were completely excluded from the funds.

“I’m not saying some of the Northern governors don’t get the money, but I’m saying, you can see… First, you see, with the level of hunger… when they invite me to parties like this, I just sit down, I just spend 5-10 minutes in some of these parties, I don’t waste my time, because I sit down and ask myself: ‘Where are these people getting this money from?’”

He also pointed to what he described as the high level of poverty in the country while questioning Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished products.

“Going by how high poverty is in Nigeria… Now, we import over 46% of finished goods. Who are those importing it?” he asked.
Amaechi subsequently declared: “Nigeria is in trouble.”

He also referred to the public reaction to President Tinubu’s movements in Lagos, saying he had watched people hoot at the President while he was travelling from the Lagos International Airport to his residence.

“I watched people hoot at Tinubu from the… from the Lagos International Airport to his house,” Amaechi said.

He then argued that an ADC government would deliver a different experience for Nigerians.

“If we become president, nobody would do that. They will be clapping for us because we will change Nigeria,” he said.
Amaechi then made a direct pledge concerning the performance of an ADC administration.

“This time I’ve said it, if Nigeria does not begin to change one year after we have come into office, come to me, I will resign,” he declared.

He stressed that he was not promising that every problem in the country would be completely solved within one year, but insisted that Nigerians should be able to feel a noticeable difference.

“Yes, if Nigeria does not begin to change, I didn’t say Nigeria must change, everything must change but even you will feel the change. You will have a breath of fresh air,” Amaechi said.