Sanusi’s misleading remarks

By Akintunde Akinwande-Albert

Democracy thrives when public officials and governments are held to account. Criticism is healthy, but it must be grounded in facts, consistency and intellectual honesty. When it is not, it becomes mere political noise.

In this context, a recent statement by Mobolaji Sanusi, former head of the Lagos State Advertising Agency (LASAA), warrants a response. His remarks are not merely a personal opinion; they present a misleading narrative that risks becoming accepted falsehoods.

Sanusi’s attempt to undermine Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu’s record while simultaneously promoting his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, exemplifies such a narrative. His comments, which he repeated after initial criticism from Lagos residents, are contradictory and lack factual basis.

The first issue with Sanusi’s argument is that it asks Lagosians to ignore reality. Over the past seven years, Lagos has seen some of the most ambitious infrastructure and governance interventions in its history. The Blue Rail Line moved from long‑promised to operational, followed by the Red Rail Line. Road networks have been expanded and rehabilitated. Housing projects have been delivered. Healthcare infrastructure has improved. Digital governance initiatives have expanded. Environmental interventions have intensified. Institutional reforms have strengthened public service delivery.

Perhaps the most visible transformation is the redevelopment of the Tolu Schools Complex in Ajegunle. What was once a symbol of neglect is now one of the largest and most modern public education facilities in Nigeria, and possibly the first of its kind in Africa in terms of student population and size. The complex now includes modern classrooms, ICT centres, science laboratories, robotics hubs, vocational training facilities, sporting infrastructure and dedicated facilities for persons with disabilities.

These are not political slogans; they are tangible achievements recognized by independent assessments. The 2025 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index ranked Lagos as Nigeria’s highest‑performing state, awarding it a five‑star rating – the only state in the federation to receive this distinction. The ranking was based on measurable indicators such as governance, infrastructure, healthcare, education, economic management and service delivery.

No serious observer claims Lagos is perfect, and no administration is without shortcomings. However, acknowledging challenges does not require denying the visible achievements that residents and visitors can see. Sanusi’s argument attempts to do just that.

More troubling is his elevation of Obafemi Hamzat as the beneficiary of his conclusions. Hamzat has served at the highest levels of the administration throughout this period, playing a central role in policy formulation, implementation and governance. If the administration deserves credit, so does Hamzat. If it deserves criticism, he cannot be insulated from responsibility. Sanusi cannot simultaneously portray Hamzat as an experienced insider while condemning the government he helped lead.

Such rhetoric is strategically reckless. The timing raises questions about political judgment, especially given the challenges facing the All Progressives Congress (APC). Across Nigeria, citizens are grappling with economic hardship, rising cost of living, inflationary pressures and the consequences of ongoing reforms. Much of this frustration is directed at the ruling party and, by extension, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The 2023 elections taught a sobering lesson. Lagos, long regarded as an APC stronghold, experienced one of the most fiercely contested electoral cycles in its history. The assumption of automatic political dominance was seriously challenged, underscoring that public sentiment and voter frustration matter.

As the nation moves toward another election cycle, the APC needs credible examples of governance performance to reconnect with voters. Sanusi’s intervention appears to undermine one of the party’s strongest governance assets by diminishing the achievements of the Sanwo‑Olu administration.

Politics is ultimately about evidence. Parties win elections not by making promises but by demonstrating competence and pointing to achievements. In Lagos, the completion of the Blue and Red Rail Lines alone represents a transformational achievement that previous administrations could not deliver. The integration of rail, road and water transportation systems has fundamentally altered the conversation about mobility in Africa’s largest city.

Beyond transportation, the administration has accumulated a record of notable firsts and significant milestones. Lagos remains Nigeria’s leading technology and innovation hub, its economic nerve centre and the leader in internally generated revenue. It has delivered one of the most ambitious public education infrastructure projects in the country and expanded governance systems capable of managing an increasingly complex megacity.

These achievements are not merely personal victories for Sanwo‑Olu; they are political assets for the APC. Any attempt to trivialise them risks harming the party’s electoral prospects and undermining the credibility of individuals it claims to support.

Sanusi’s intervention becomes more than flawed analysis; it exemplifies political carelessness that can damage both the party he claims to support and the individuals he seeks to promote. His argument ultimately harms Hamzat as much as it targets Sanwo‑Olu, because portraying the administration as unsuccessful diminishes the credentials of those who served within it.

Lagosians are capable of forming their own judgments. They see the roads they drive on, the trains that now move passengers across the city, the schools, hospitals and public infrastructure projects that have emerged over the last seven years. They also understand that challenges remain. What they do not need is commentary that asks them to disregard observable realities in favour of politically convenient narratives.

Criticism remains essential to democracy, but distortion does not. Sanusi’s intervention should be recognised as a disingenuous attempt to rewrite a record that remains visible across Lagos for anyone willing to look. As public frustration continues to test the fortunes of the APC nationally, the party’s path forward lies not in diminishing its strongest examples of governance performance but in defending and building upon them.

In that regard, Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu’s record is not a burden to be hidden. It is an asset to be protected, a record to be defended and an achievement portfolio that the APC would be unwise to undermine through repetition of any political drivel.

•Akinwande‑Albert works and lives in Lagos

QUOTE

Even more atrocious is the fact that he doubled down after his first missile was shot down by the whole of Lagos, who had eyes and could see the wonders around them. What he called his second and final word was an absolute twadddle, and representing without equivocation, the school of thoughts he belongs

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