Lagos 2023: Jandor Declares Interest To Take Over Lagos

 

By oluwaseyi fadoro

One of the governorship Aspirant in People's Democratic Party, Lagos State Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly called, Jandor, against all odds, on Thursday, formally, declared his interest to contest in the 2023 governorship polls against the incumbent, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu if given the ticket by PDP.

The Lead

Visioner, Lagos4Lagos Movement, which pulled out of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had earlier on Monday March 21, 2022, purchased the nomination and expression of interest form to run for the office of the Lagos State Governor in 2023 under the platform of PDP

According to him, focus, doggedness and determination to rescue Lagos residents from the stranglehold of repeated dictatorship and clueless governance motivated some of his friends, referred to as Friends of Jandor (FOJ), to align with the vision and support him with the funds used to purchase the nomination form. 

 

While nothing than it's less that 57 days to the primary election which will come up May 21, described the formal declaration as epic in the history of Lagos State, the state had never expressed so much confidence and assurrance In a candidate to emerge top like him in PDP.

He noted: “In the past elections, statistics have shown that PDP has been polling between 34 per cent- 36 per cent of total votes and with us (Lagos4Lagos movement) coming into the party with our huge numbers, it is exactly what PDP needs to win the state, the huge numbers we brought into the party is a defining deficit for the APC and a definite plus in PDP.”

Addressing large crowd of supporters across 20 Local Government Areas and 35, Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, Adediran, at his declaration in Ikeja, made a passionate appeal on PDP family to unite and rise above every suspicion capable of truncating the party's chances in forthcoming elections, which he described as "very promising"

Jandor maintained that APC ignominious reigns in the state had come to a terminal end, particularly, the tradition of godfathetism in the state.

According to him, "There is a terminal point for everything and the terminal point of APC in Lagos is 2023. We were the APC, we have created that implosion in APC and we are now in PDP.

"PDP has been doing between 30 per cent and 34 per cent in every election year. So, the 20 per cent PDP needs to cross that threshold is what we have brought in from APC to PDP.

"We want Lagos PDP to look at every aspirant running for this office and gunning for the ticket and see which one of them can truly win the election for the party.

"Let the party give the ticket to that person and let us see how we can work together.

"We have never been this hopeful, 2023 is the year for us to take Lagos and return it to the people of Lagos."

Governorship aspirant, Adediran, said he understood the state and ready to change the narrative if elected.

Jandor continued: "Lagos is a wealthy state. If we have a leader that is compassionate with emotional intelligence, there is no how the resources of the state will not work for the state.

"We will do something differently. We want the money of Lagos to work for the state.

"I will not disappoint the party and its stakeholders. We should not work against one another. We should do whatever that will help us to win election," Adediran added.

He said that the fear from some quarters that Lagos4Lagos movement wanted to take over the party or would likely hijack the party was unfounded.

Jandor said that since the old members of PDP over 20 years could not achieve the dream of winning the state, the coming in of the Lagos4Lagos Movement was a big opportunity for the PDP to win.

The aspirant, who noted that he had a humble beginnings, said that he was seeking the job to make the state work for the people as against an individual or few people.

Agenda on key sectors

In announcing developmental agenda, Jandor, assured residents that his administration would change the narratives in education, infrastructure, traffic, economy, healthcare, security among other sectors.

"For us, we will make primary education free and compulsory with free uniforms for pupils. The moment we come into office.

"We will provide everything children need to be in school. We are returning law and order back to Lagos," Adediran said.

He said that his administration would create Ministry of Disability to take care of people living with disability as critical stakeholders in the state.

In his remarks, Alhaji Mumumi Gambari, representing the Arewa Community, described the declaration of Adediran  as "the coming out of the sun", adding that the group was behind his aspiration.

Representing the Igbo community in Lagos, Dr Jonathan Nnaji, expressed confidence that Adediran would win the 2023 Lagos Governorship poll, saying Igbos in the state were committed to the cause and would givebtteur support for the realization of the vision.

Another PDP chieftain, Rev. Funsho Awe, said, "it is time for the the good people of Lagos to take over power from those who had subjected us to slavery for many years.  This declaration is the beginning of the best thing to happen to the state".