The governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has stated that the state’s economy cannot be handled by someone without the necessary experience in governance and leadership.
At the March 18 gubernatorial election, Sanwo-Olu will face off against Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Abdul-Azeez Adediran.
On Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu gave an interview with Nigeria Info FM, where he emphasized the importance of the state’s economy.
The governor claims to be the best candidate because he has both the private and public sector experience necessary to advance the state.
“What have you done in your own life, what is the pedigree, and what experience you are bringing to the table? What level of knowledge do you have that this job entails? What are your previous roles?” he asked.
“A governor of the sixth largest economy can certainly not be a test run activity. You’re driving the largest black city in the world, it cannot be a test run. It is not driven by emotion. It is certainly will be driven by the people, who choose to have the capacity.
“The youngest candidate that is also competing in this race is a 40-year-old Lagosian and a Nigerian. So, I said let us discount our age to age 40 and let us see what has everybody done at age 40. I’m 57, so I’m going to tell you what I have done at age 40.
“At age 40, I left the banking industry as a general manager, heading investment banking. I had been in that sector for 15 years prior to then. I have had to develop competence and experience in very strong structured investment banking.
“I have been treasurer in three banks. I moved into the public sector and by 40, I had done about four years in the public sector. I had become a commissioner of economic planning. I had been an adviser to a sitting governor at that time.”
President-elect Bola Tinubu lost his home state of Lagos to the Labour Party’s (LP’s) Peter Obi.
Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu’s political mentor, is a former governor of the state who served from 1999 to 2007.
