The Lagos State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Prince Laja Adeoye, has criticised Deputy Governor and APC governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, over his advice that residents struggling with high rents should consider sharing apartments or continue living with their parents.
Adeoye described the comment as an “admission of failure” by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that it offered no solution to the state’s housing crisis.
Hamzat had, in an interview during the week, advised young people facing rising accommodation costs to consider sharing apartments or staying with their parents while working to improve their finances.
Reacting in a statement on Saturday, Adeoye said the solution to Lagos’ housing deficit was not to encourage residents to share cramped apartments, but to implement deliberate policies that would increase the supply of affordable housing.
He called for greater government intervention and genuine public-private partnerships, citing the housing projects of the late former Lagos governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, as an example of what could be achieved through political will and effective planning.
Adeoye, a real estate expert, also linked the housing crisis to unemployment and low incomes, promising that an APM administration would empower at least 100,000 new entrepreneurs annually with seed capital.
He said increased economic opportunities would enable more residents to earn enough to afford decent accommodation rather than depend on family houses or shared apartments.
“Governance is not about managing scarcity with lazy advice. It is about solving problems with clear, workable solutions,” he said.
The APM candidate further accused the APC administration of prioritising political interests over people-oriented housing projects.
According to him, Lagos has a housing deficit estimated at more than 2.5 million units, citing figures from the Lagos State Ministry of Housing.
He said an APM government would pursue policies to expand housing supply while simultaneously improving residents’ earning capacity.
Rising rents have continued to push many Lagos residents towards the outskirts of the state, while housing costs remain high amid inflation, rising construction expenses and limited access to affordable mortgage financing.
Adeoye said the housing crisis would be a major issue in the 2027 Lagos governorship election.