"We're not in bondage," Sanwo-Olu says Agbaje has nothing to offer Lagosians

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babajide Sanwo-Olu, believes the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jimi Agbaje, has nothing to offer the state.

While speaking during an interview on Lagos Talks 91.3 FM on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, Sanwo-Olu dismissed Agbaje's campaign promise to deliver the state from bondage.

Jimi Agbaje is considered a favourite to become the next Lagos State governor Jimi Agbaje has called for more support after members of the Accord Party pledged support to him at a political mixer on Thursday, December 20, 2018. Pulse Nigeria

The former commissioner said the state's growth over the years has been due to deliberate efforts by previous governments.

He said, "The first thing is to settle ourselves clearly that we're not in any form of bondage. You and I know that we're not in shackles at all.

"When you say Lagos is the fifth largest economy, it just didn't drop from heaven. It's because growth has happened.

"There might be traffic and waste issues but we've developed a state. Wealth has been created.

"To now situate all of that conversation, because truly PDP really doesn't have anything to offer and, by extension, Mr Agbaje really doesn't have anything to offer. There's really nothing new that he has to offer us."

When Nigeria regained democracy in 1999, Bola Tinubu was elected the Lagos State governor and has been heavily involved in the emergence and electoral victories of his successors, Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, the current governor.

L-R: Former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, current governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and the APC's governorship candidate for the 2019 election, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have all been close associates of Tinubu who was governor between 1999 and 2007 ece-auto-gen

Agbaje has, on several occasions, alleged that Tinubu's stranglehold over the politics of the state has been holding it back from progress and has vowed to liberate the state.

However, while speaking on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said Tinubu has already shifted his attention towards national matters and is not standing in the way of the progress of Lagos State.

"Asiwaju is a father to us and the man has not even gone on an engagement with us since we started this thing in September. He's moved on, his conversation is to take Nigeria to a height all of us will be proud of and we wish him the best.

"It's gone beyond Lagos conversation, beyond southwest. Here in Lagos, we've been running our own thing," he said.

Former Lagos governor and APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, is believed to wield a great amount of political influence in the state ece-auto-gen

The candidate further asserted that he's his own man with over 17 years experience in government.

The Lagos governorship election will take place on March 2, 2019, with Sanwo-Olu and Agbaje considered favourites to win the coveted seat to head Nigeria's economic capital.