Funso Doherty Emerges NDC Lagos Governorship Candidate For 2027, Vows ‘People-Centered’ Government

Funso Doherty.

Public policy advocate and former Lagos governorship candidate Funso Doherty has formally emerged as the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, flagbearer for the 2027 Lagos governorship election, ending weeks of speculation over his political platform.

Doherty announced his move to the NDC on Thursday, May 7, after resigning from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, citing unresolved leadership crises and the collapse of a planned opposition coalition. His defection comes just weeks after he declared his intention to run for governor on the ADC platform at Freedom Park, Lagos Island.

In a statement issued Thursday, Doherty said his decision followed “due consultation, careful deliberation and prayerful reflection”. 

_“We had hoped that ADC would be the vehicle that would unite the opposition,”_ Doherty said. _“That is now clearly no longer the case. In these circumstances therefore, we must each individually make a decision as to whether to remain with the ADC or move to the NDC.

He added: _“I am convinced that this is the path that will enable us to deliver the benefits of good governance to those to whom they are due — every citizen, without exception.

Doherty’s exit from ADC mirrors moves by other opposition figures. Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso joined the NDC on May 3 after leaving the ADC, with Obi blaming “endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division” in the ADC. The ADC is currently split between factions led by David Mark and Nafiu Bala. 

The NDC becomes Doherty’s third political platform since the 2023 elections. He contested the 2023 Lagos governorship poll on the ADC ticket and placed fourth. In July 2024, he resigned from the ADC to join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Following leadership turmoil in the PDP, he returned to the ADC in early 2026 and announced his 2027 ambition on April 11.

His latest defection to NDC was triggered by the same ADC leadership dispute that saw INEC withdraw recognition of the party’s leadership earlier this year.

At his April 11 declaration at Freedom Park, Doherty framed his candidacy as a response to _“widening inequality, declining public services, and a disconnect between government spending and citizens’ welfare.

_“Even though Lagos, blessed as we are by the Almighty God, can have enough for all, today, it is being governed to offer a great deal for a very few and very little for most. This is what I have determined must change,”_ he told supporters.

Doherty criticised the state’s N4 trillion+ budget for 2026, arguing that _“the gleaming towers of Banana Island draw attention away from a harsh and depressing reality of deprivation and lack in education, health, jobs, housing, water, power and so on for most citizens”

On education, he cited data showing more than half of pupils in public schools failed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, calling it _“a sign of systemic decline.

Doherty dismissed the notion that Lagos is an impregnable APC stronghold. In a recent TV interview, he noted: _“In the last presidential election, who won Lagos? APC lost Lagos. That’s a fact. The idea that Lagos is permanently tied to APC and cannot be dislodged is fundamentally flawed.

He stressed that _“the people will decide it in 2027”_ and promised to run an issues-based campaign focused on integrity, capacity, and vision. 

Doherty acknowledged the task ahead is _“formidable”_ but urged supporters to join _“this exciting, though sometimes turbulent, journey to a brighter future”

The NDC is positioning itself as a new opposition coalition after absorbing high-profile figures from LP, PDP, and ADC. However, the party faces its own test of unity and structure ahead of 2027.

Doherty, a chartered accountant and former managing director of Pensions Alliance Limited, says Lagos _“continues to struggle with widespread poverty, poor education outcomes, and limited access to affordable housing”_ despite its _“vast resources and economic importance”

With his NDC candidacy now confirmed, attention shifts to how he builds grassroots structures and whether the NDC can unify opposition votes in Nigeria’s economic capital.