The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for the 2027 Lagos State election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, have criticised the handling of flooding in Lagos, blaming recurring incidents on what they described as years of poor environmental governance, weak urban planning and inadequate infrastructure.
The opposition figures made the remarks in separate posts on X on Tuesday, as parts of Lagos continued to grapple with flooding following heavy rainfall.
Rhodes-Vivour said the recurring floods highlighted the interconnected nature of waste management, stormwater drainage and urban planning, arguing that neglect in one area inevitably affects the others.
“The flooding we are witnessing across Lagos is yet another reminder that waste management, stormwater drainage, and urban planning are inseparable. You cannot neglect one and expect the others to function effectively,” he said.
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of failing to provide lasting solutions despite more than two decades in power, alleging that Lagosians have continued to endure annual flooding with little beyond “excuses and reactive interventions.”
According to him, poorly regulated sand filling, unchecked urban development, destruction of wetlands and weak planning policies have displaced vulnerable communities and exposed millions of residents to damaged homes, destroyed vehicles, disrupted businesses and reduced productivity.
He called for proactive and sustainable policies aimed at building a climate-resilient Lagos, saying residents deserved leadership with the vision and political will to address the state’s environmental challenges.
In a separate statement, Doherty argued that attributing the floods solely to indiscriminate waste disposal failed to capture the broader causes of the crisis.
He said the flooding reflected “a long-standing failure in environmental governance” by both the federal and Lagos State governments.
Doherty cited extracts from a report by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which he said his legal team obtained in 2024 during a legal challenge against the award of the Lagos Coastal Road contract.
According to him, the report indicated that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not available to the BPP during its review of the contract, while N400m was included in the contract sum for conducting the assessment as part of the contractor’s responsibilities.
He argued that the road project was designed, costed and awarded before a proper EIA had been conducted, adding that assigning responsibility for the assessment to the contractor presented a conflict of interest capable of compromising its independence.
Doherty linked the alleged lapses to the increasing flooding experienced in communities adjoining the coastal road, noting that the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment had acknowledged flooding in the affected areas.
He called for an independent investigation into the project, remediation measures and compensation for residents whose homes and properties were affected if it is established that failure to comply with environmental laws contributed to the flooding.
“I call for a proper independent investigation, prompt remediation measures and provision for fair compensation for losses suffered by residents and property owners with resettlement assistance as appropriate, where failure to follow due process and adhere to the Environmental Impact Assessment laws is established to have contributed to or caused the severe hardship being endured by affected communities,” Doherty said.
He also urged governments at all levels to ensure that major infrastructure projects comply with environmental safeguards before contracts are awarded and executed.
(The Whistler)
