Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, has criticised Channels Television presenter Seun Okinbaloye over his description of Lagos State as wealthy during a governorship debate.
Ajayi argued that the description overlooked the financial realities of the state, questioning how Lagos could be considered rich when its 2026 budget stands at about N4 trillion, equivalent to less than $3 billion.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the presidential aide compared Lagos’ budget with that of the New York City Police Department, which he said has an annual budget exceeding $6 billion, despite being a single city agency rather than an entire state government.
“New York City Police Department 2026 budget is more than $6 billion and in dollar terms twice the budget of Lagos State. We are talking about a city police department annual budget, not that of New York State,” he said.
He maintained that misleading assessments of Nigeria’s economic position, particularly by influential public figures and journalists, could undermine public understanding of the country’s development challenges.
Ajayi also called for a departure from what he described as simplistic and populist interpretations of wealth, urging journalists to ensure their public commentary reflects a sound understanding of economic realities.
Okinbaloye made the remark during a debate involving governorship candidates ahead of the 2027 Lagos State election, The Sun reported.
