Two Dohertys, two parties, one Lagos governorship race

Politics Spice Special Features Education Sex & Relationship Interview Columns Opinion Advertise with us Two Dohertys, two parties, one Lagos governorship race Politics November 10, 2026 5:42 pm Deji Doherty and Funsho Doherty

Two politicians from the historic Doherty family of Lagos are among those seeking to govern the state in 2027, but they are contesting on different political platforms.

Funso Doherty, the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Adedeji “Deji” Doherty, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), share family roots traced to Josiah Henryson Doherty, popularly known as the “Prince Merchant of Alakoro”.

Their connection has attracted interest as they pursue the same political office, raising questions about their family backgrounds, the history behind their shared surname and how they arrived at the 2027 governorship race.

Although they are members of the same extended family, the precise degree of their relationship is not clearly established by the publicly available biographical accounts.

The Doherty family is one of the historic Lagos families associated with the city’s early commercial and political development.

At the centre of the two candidates’ shared ancestry is Josiah Henryson Doherty, who was widely known as the “Prince Merchant of Alakoro”.

According to Funso’s published biography, his father, the late Dr Henry Aderounmu Aremu Doherty, was born in Lagos in 1900 to J.H. Doherty.

Henry studied medicine in Glasgow, Scotland, completing his training in 1926. He later returned to Nigeria, worked as a medical officer and established a private medical practice on Aje Street, Lagos.

Deji’s biography also traces his ancestry to J.H. Doherty and the historic Doherty family of Popo Aguda, Lagos Island. He is the son of the late Dr Tunji Julius Doherty and Elizabeth Doherty.

In an interview with City People Magazine, Deji explained his family lineage, saying, “My great grandfather, the Prince Merchant of Lagos, J.H. Doherty was born in Lagos. His mother hailed from Ijero Ekiti. He gave birth to my grandfather, Akintunde Doherty who gave birth to my father Dr. Tunji Doherty.”

The accounts establish a shared ancestral connection, although they do not independently provide enough detail to conclusively establish the exact relationship between Funso and Deji. File Photo: 2027 NDC Lagos State governorship candidate, Funso Doherty.

Born on June 16, 1968, in Lagos, Funso Doherty is a financial expert, investment banker and politician.

He grew up on Wakeman Street, now known as Borno Way, in Yaba. He attended Corona School, Victoria Island, and King’s College, Lagos, before proceeding to the University of Lagos, where he studied Accounting and graduated with a Second Class Upper Division in 1990.

He began his professional career at Arthur Andersen & Co., now KPMG, in 1991 before joining Asset & Resource Management Company in 1994, where he specialised in investment management.

In 1999, he began an MBA programme at Harvard Business School in the United States and graduated in 2001. He subsequently joined the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs in New York before working as a vice-president at PNC Advisors in Pennsylvania.

Doherty returned to Nigeria in 2005 and became the pioneer Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ARM Pension Managers. He later established Doherty and Company and served as Managing Director and CEO of PAL Pensions, completing his tenure in 2022.

His political journey includes his first attempt at the Lagos governorship in 2023. He declared his intention to contest again in April 2026 and joined the NDC in May of the same year.

The party subsequently unveiled him as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election, with Tolani Animashaun as his running mate.

Born on March 9, 1962, Deji Doherty is an engineer, businessman and politician who has been a member of the PDP since 1999.

He was born into the Doherty family of Popo Aguda, Lagos Island, and is the son of the late Dr Tunji Julius Doherty and Elizabeth Doherty.

He attended CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, before travelling to the United States for further education. He obtained an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from Central State University, Ohio.

After returning to Nigeria in 1986, he established Dohagro Allied International, which grew into the DAIN Group of Companies, with business interests in agriculture, grain processing and other sectors.

His political career has largely been built within the PDP. He has served as Lagos State chairman of the party and National Vice-Chairman for the South-West, among other roles.

Doherty made several attempts to secure the party’s governorship ticket, including contests in previous election cycles. He eventually emerged as the PDP’s candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election in 2026.

Despite their shared family roots, the two Dohertys have followed different professional and political paths.

Funso is contesting under the NDC, while Deji is seeking the governorship on the PDP platform.

Their candidacies add an unusual dimension to the 2027 Lagos election, with two politicians from the same extended family seeking the same office while representing different political parties.

Samuel Omotere is an experienced journalist covering human interest stories, pop culture, and digital trends. He combines his background as a language graduate with a focus on sustainable digital storytelling.

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