The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State Chapter, has criticised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration over the state’s waste management challenges, describing the reported exit of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, as a sign of administrative failure.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Prince Dr Christopher Odianarewo, the opposition party accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of failing to effectively address mounting refuse and environmental sanitation concerns across Lagos.
The PDP said it had repeatedly raised concerns about waste disposal and environmental degradation in previous statements, arguing that the reported departure of the LAWMA chief executive had reinforced its criticism of the government’s handling of the situation.
According to the party, refuse accumulation on major roads, residential streets, market areas and road medians has become a growing concern, while waste obstructing drainage channels could worsen flooding during rainfall.
The opposition party also accused the state government of relying on temporary sanitation exercises and public assurances instead of implementing sustainable reforms to strengthen waste collection and disposal systems.
Describing the reported leadership change at LAWMA as insufficient to resolve the crisis, the PDP argued that the government needed to address broader institutional and operational challenges within the waste management sector.
“The ultimate failure lies squarely at the desk of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu,” the statement said, blaming the governor for what it described as inadequate oversight of environmental sanitation in the state.
The party further expressed concern about the potential public health consequences of accumulated refuse, including unpleasant odours and possible exposure to disease-causing organisms.
However, the statement did not provide independent public health data to substantiate its claims of disease outbreaks across Lagos.
PDP Calls for Comprehensive Waste Management Reforms
The Lagos PDP urged the state government to look beyond leadership changes at LAWMA and undertake broader reforms aimed at improving waste collection, disposal and environmental sanitation.
It argued that replacing the authority’s chief executive without addressing what it described as systemic inefficiencies would not deliver lasting improvements.
The party also expressed solidarity with residents affected by waste accumulation and called for a more proactive approach to environmental management.
The statement concluded by urging Sanwo-Olu to accept responsibility for the situation and take decisive action to improve sanitation across the state.
The criticism comes amid renewed political debate over environmental management and public infrastructure in Lagos.
The allegations in the PDP statement represent the opposition party’s position. The circumstances surrounding Gbadegesin’s reported departure, the government’s response to the criticism and the current state of LAWMA’s operations were not independently established in the statement.
