Adeoye unveils Àtunto Èkó blueprint, pushes 57 LGAs, end of GAC

Laja Adeoye, Governorship Candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Lagos State, has unveiled a sweeping governance and development blueprint tagged, “Àtunto Èkó 1.0, re-engineering Lagos for Inclusive Prosperity,” promising far-reaching political and structural reforms ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

At the centre of the RESET Lagos Agenda unveiled on Sunday to journalists, party leaders and candidates, are proposals to convert the state’s 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) into full-fledged local government areas, raising the total number of councils in Lagos to 57, alongside the scrapping of the influential Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).

Adeoye said the reforms were aimed at deepening grassroots governance, strengthening inclusion, and dismantling what he described as an outdated political control structure in the State.

According to him, the current GAC would be replaced by a broader Lagos State Elders and Advisory Council comprising traditional rulers, religious leaders, market representatives, youth groups, women leaders, business stakeholders, and former public office holders.

“An inclusive Lagos State Elders and Advisory Council, comprising traditional rulers, religious leaders, business captains, market leaders, and past office holders, will replace the old Governor’s Advisory Council,” he stated during the unveiling.

The APM candidate also pledged full local government autonomy, arguing that grassroots administrations must have greater constitutional and financial powers to drive development closer to residents.

Adeoye, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Allied Peoples Movement, described Lagos as a state in urgent need of political and economic reset after years of one-party dominance.

While acknowledging infrastructure growth under previous administrations, he said many Lagosians still grapple with flooding, poor healthcare, inadequate housing, youth unemployment, insecurity, and exclusion from governance.

Beyond governance reforms, the Àtunto Èkó blueprint outlines plans for independent power projects, affordable housing, climate-resilient infrastructure, digital governance, improved healthcare, STEM and technical education, social protection programmes, and aggressive economic expansion through SMEs, technology, agriculture, and the blue economy.

Adeoye also promised transparent fiscal management through real-time publication of budgets and stricter contractor accountability.

He further pledged to attract at least $100 billion in foreign direct investment into Lagos through economic diplomacy and public-private partnerships.

The APM candidate called on Lagosians to rally behind his party ahead of the 2027 election, saying the state deserves “visionary, inclusive, transparent, and accountable leadership.”

“A New Lagos is unfolding,” he declared.