Is there any cooperation going on between you and those who contested against you?

Immediately we won the primaries, even from the acceptance speech, we embraced all the aspirants and we went on to salute them and all Lagosians for winning that primary. It wasn’t won by Akin Ambode. This democracy is not about one person, it is about the future of Nigeria, Lagosians and those yet unborn. So, I have singlehandedly liaised with other aspirants that we must salvage democracy in Lagos State, and that we must create the enabling environment for our people to participate in government. As I speak, one of the aspirants is the divisional coordinator of my campaign. One of the aspirants has even collapsed his resources and structure for our purpose. All the aspirants have nominees in our campaign team and we are one family. Just today, I met with all the candidates for the House of Assembly and Representatives; Senator Ashafa and others. We are one team and we are going to change the face of politics in Nigeria. We will work as one family to effect positive change on all our citizens. This is what this project is. We want to make politics an enjoyable game for everyone. We are all members of the same party and we profess the same ideology and that is what this 2015 election is about.

People say some of the policies of the present administration did not go down well with Lagosians and that there was not much consultation with the people. Are you going to do things differently?

It is very clear inside the manifesto of the APC that we are giving governance back to the people, the community and the local government. The Community Development Associations, CDAs, and the Community Development Council, CDC, will be involved in everything we are doing at the local government and at the state level. We intend to run an open government and it is going to be a government of inclusion. The only way we can say we are practising good governance is to live by the tenets and principles of good governance. Everybody should have a voice. I am one of the people propagating the fact that government should not be against the people. The people are the ones deciding that one or a few of them should go and help them take care of the resources that belong to them, so we are not to have a situation where the government thinks it is the landlord and the people are tenants. The citizens are actually the landlords while we are the tenants. We are just going there as caretakers and tenants on their behalf and their voice is what we are going to propagate and this is the direction the APC is going in this election. And indeed, the next administration that is coming is going to give voice to the people and do whatever they want. Whether in our policies or budget preparation, we will be giving back to them. That is what we want to do.

Is there any plan that your administration will cooperate with Ogun State concerning the border towns and people living in Ogun and working in Lagos?

I believe strongly in regional integration and cooperation. There are no boundaries anymore in Lagos State. The number of people entering and going out of Lagos on a daily basis is becoming troublesome, so no matter how much you spend on facilities and infrastructure, you have to start thinking about such movement and mobility. That is why it sometimes appears as if the provision of hospitals and other facilities are never enough. The bulk of the people coming in are actually not residents of Lagos. What does that tell you? To anyone who succeeds, more work. Lagos is succeeding and must now have to provide for such movement, not necessarily concerning Ogun State alone, but the whole of Nigeria. People come to hospitals here and they come to look for work. We will not restrict the movement of non-residents. This is Lagos, it is open to all Nigerians and even foreigners, and it is left for government to respond to the needs of such people every time such needs arise. So, in terms of taxes, for people who live outside Lagos and work in Lagos, they have to pay their PAYE in their places of residence. There are lots of them doing business in Lagos and paying permits and business taxes to Lagos State. We will continue to improve on cooperation. The Lagos State government can stand alone and that is the truth. There are things that we will do in cooperation with other states, like we have farms in Osun State and even Abuja. Of course, it is creating employment somewhere, but it is bringing something back to us. We will continue to improve on integration and expand on it.

What is your message to the electorate?

I believe strongly that all Lagosians would have by now gotten their voter’s cards. And those who haven’t gotten theirs should go out and get them. That voter’s card is their power to decide. The power to choose between the continuity of your wellbeing and the future of your children and the future of Lagosians as against people who want to come in to carry out experiment on your daily life. I believe a vote for APC at the centre will give us more of prosperity in Lagos. We are telling all Lagosians and by extension all Nigerians that a vote for APC at the centre is a guarantee for our security and prosperity. But a more prosperous Lagos will depend on having APC at the centre and in Lagos State. We will make sure we secure Lagos and the centre for the future of Nigeria and keep the heritage of Lagos going and move Lagos to the next level.