Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Funso Doherty, has defended the continued relevance of the PDP in Nigeria’s political space, saying the existence of a credible opposition is fundamental to the survival of democracy.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Doherty rejected the notion that the PDP is in decline, describing reports of its collapse as exaggerated. “The rumours of the death of PDP I think are greatly exaggerated,” he said. “Do we have internal issues? Yes. Are there internal crises? Yes. But the battle for the soul of PDP that is going on is beyond PDP.”
He argued that the internal struggles within the PDP represent a much broader democratic challenge. “It’s a battle for the soul of the party, but it’s also a larger battle for democracy in Nigeria. Because at the end of the day, if we don’t have opposition, we don’t have a democracy,” he stated.
The 2027 governorship hopeful emphasised that despite internal wranglings and defections, the PDP remains Nigeria’s leading opposition party. “If you look at the landscape today, PDP is the main opposition to the APC. Even despite all the defections, the largest group of governors you will find remaining is in the PDP. In the National Assembly, the largest group you will find is the PDP,” he maintained.
Doherty also alleged that some crises within the PDP are externally influenced, claiming that certain individuals in the party serve interests beyond its borders. “There are elements within the party which are loyal to interests that are outside the party,” he said. “It is well known, for example, that the Minister of the FCT is serving in this present government… When you are in a position of conflicting interests, we have to take everything you say with a pinch of salt.”
On the state of governance in Lagos, Doherty criticised what he described as the administration’s overemphasis on infrastructure at the expense of citizens’ welfare. “Whilst we can point to certain areas of infrastructure as being a product of governance in Lagos, I think it’s an insufficient yardstick to judge the quality of governance because we have more resources to deploy,” he said. “I also think there’s an over-focus on infrastructure and an under-focus on quality of life – education, healthcare, and daily living.”
Speaking on the controversial demolitions in Oworonshoki, he said the exercise exposed a lack of transparency and poor urban planning. “What we’re seeing is the outcome of a process of lack of transparency, a process done in secrecy. If you say you want urban renewal, it should start with transparent engagement and public participation,” Doherty said.
He added that such demolitions reveal deeper policy failures in housing and urban renewal. “It’s also evidence of failure in terms of investment in housing in Lagos. The government hasn’t done enough to address housing needs on the required scale,” he said. “If the government is paying compensation, it means harm has been done. Compensation implies loss. And if demolitions happen in the middle of the night, it shows something that can’t be done in daylight.”
Addressing claims that the PDP in Lagos is factionalised, Doherty dismissed the suggestion, saying: “I question the whole terminology of factions. I believe there are internal disagreements, yes, but I reject the term factionalisation.”
On the Lagos coastal road project, Doherty questioned the cost and procurement process, noting: “If you spend about ₦1 trillion for 47 kilometres, that’s ₦22.5 billion per kilometre. Whether it’s ₦22 billion or ₦7 billion, the issue is process. If you didn’t award the contract on a single-source basis, if you had gone through procurement, no one would question it.”
He confirmed that he has taken legal action over the project. “I’m in court on this matter. We took the Attorney General of the Federation, the Bureau of Public Procurement, and HITECH to court,” he revealed.
On the controversial Alpha-Beta tax consultancy, Doherty criticised the arrangement as unnecessary and exploitative. “Alpha-Beta, to me, is a travesty. The fact that it was instituted and still exists today is troubling,” he said. “Most of the work of tax collection is done by the Lagos Internal Revenue Service. So why are we paying huge sums to an agency that’s basically record-keeping, when we already have an entire government body set up for that? If given the opportunity, I will unwind that arrangement.”
Doherty also confirmed his cordial relationship with PDP chieftain Chief Olabode George and expressed optimism about his chances in the upcoming primaries. “I’m interacting with a lot of the leadership, including Chief Olabode George, who is a father figure and one of the principal leaders. We have a great relationship. I have no fear that we will not succeed in the primaries,” he said.
On the federal government’s newly imposed 15 percent import duty on fuel imports, Doherty criticised the policy as anti-people. “Nobody’s arguing that you should not protect industries where industries need protection,” he said. “But the argument being made is that one entity can supply all the petrol for the entire country, and that entity needs protection by increasing the amount of money, ultimately, that people are likely to pay at the pump.”
He called for greater accountability and legislative oversight. “My recommendation, which I wrote to the National Assembly, is that they should call the players and the parties to explain this. Before we impose more burden on the people, let’s make sure it’s justified,” Doherty concluded.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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