Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has ruled out any interest in contesting for the presidency, saying he is content with his life and has no ambition to seek Nigeria’s highest office.
Fashola made the remarks during an interview on TVC on Wednesday, where he dismissed growing speculation linking him to a presidential bid.
Asked directly if he would run for president, he gave a one-word answer: “No.”
Pressed further on whether he was weighing a presidential run, Fashola responded with a smile: “President of what? I’m president at home.”
Reflecting on more than two decades in public service, the former governor described his career as an extraordinary privilege and said he hopes his journey inspires younger Nigerians.
“My journey has been an unimaginable privilege, and I hope that it, in some way, inspires another generation about the possibilities of this country,” he said.
He added that Nigeria remains a country where people can rise from humble beginnings to positions of prominence.
“Particularly because when we celebrate dreams across the Atlantic, our country is also a place where there are so many stories of rags to riches and grass to grace. I hope that it inspires another generation,” he said.
Asked how he would like to be remembered, Fashola declined to shape his own legacy, insisting history should be left to make its own judgment.
“Let history write whatever history wants to write. It is not in my place,” he said.
The former minister also sidestepped questions about his preferred successor ahead of the 2015 Lagos governorship election, declining to comment on past speculation involving Deputy Governor Kadri Hamzat and former Attorney-General Olasupo Sasore.
Fashola confirmed he remains a member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council, noting there is “a thin line between intervention and interference.”
He also called for stronger public confidence in the judiciary, urged a more vibrant opposition to deepen Nigeria’s democracy, pushed for greater national consensus on key policy issues, backed the establishment of state police while cautioning it is not a quick fix to insecurity, and attributed Lagos’ recurring flooding partly to indiscriminate waste disposal despite the state’s coastal terrain.
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