I'll Bring Down Lekki/Epe Expressway Tollgate – Jimi Agbaje

PDP gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, has declared that the tollgate on the Lekki/Epe Expressway, Lagos, will 'disappear' if voted into office. Agbaje articulated this position during a peaceful protest march christened ‘March for Freedom’ which was held in Lekki, Lagos, last Saturday, organized by Freedom Group, a political pressure group. The March kicked off at 8am at Lekki Toll Plaza 11 and terminated at Lekki Toll Plaza 1. The Freedom March attracted human rights activists and residents of Lekki, Lagos, clutching placards and chanting solidarity songs. “I am here to show solidarity with you on the issue of the toll plaza on which you are marching for today and assure you that when we get into office, the tollgate will come down; I will demolish all of them,” Agbaje declared. Justifying his statement, Agbaje continued:"The public/private partnership (PPP) arrangement behind this project is not transparent. Look at the BRT and Lagos light rail projects, they are collapsing because the PPP arrangements they have on ground are not sustainable. The light rail, which was supposed to have been ready since 2012, is grounded and this is because of vested interests of a few people. The PPP arrangements are skewed to favour only a few people, so for me, I am in solidarity with you and a vote for us is a vote for freedom, a vote to bring down the toll plaza." Commenting, Gabriel Odu, the coordinator of the march said: “This march is all about freedom, freedom from tolls, freedom from oppression and freedom from god fatherism. We are saying that no more tolls on this road. We want a government that will come in and free us from this, in the person of Jimi Agbaje. “This is a direct call for freedom for the good people of Lagos. The March for Freedom chose the Lekki Toll Plaza as the focal point as it is a symbol of oppressive governance. The toll is nothing short of exploitation of defenseless citizens by those who simply feel they can get away with it.”