Jandor Returns to APC after Meeting with Tinubu
Segun James
A week after he met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Bauja, the 2023 Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, aka, Jamdor, has returned to the All Progressives Congress(APC). He left the party to PDP in 2022.
Adediran said the decision followed consultations with prominent aides of President Bola Tinubu, including the Chief of Staff, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila and the President’s son, Mr Seyi Tinubu, who he said had been talking to him in the last one year on his possible return.
Adediran who disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, said he left the PDP due to problems with the party’s leaders in the state, especially, Chief Bode George, whom he accused of driving every governorship candidate in the party out.
He made the proverb that until a woman goes through two husbands, she will never know which is better. This he admitted now applied to him, hence, he had to return to the APC after experiencing the difference between both parties.
Jandor had on March 3 dumped PDP over what he described as anti-party activities of some leaders of the party in Lagos State.
He said that his decision to dump PDP followed meetings with the party’s leadership, especially former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and other prominent political bigwigs in the country on the antipathy activities of some leaders of the party in the state.
“In the process of consultation, we had crucial discussions with some leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), APC, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Young Progressive Party (YPP) among others.”
“We equally had truth-sharing engagement with the leadership of the PDP at the national level on the likelihood of rescinding our resignation from the party if the identified wrongs could be corrected.
“While PDP at the national level was on our neck to rescind our decision of resigning from the party, the state chapter in Lagos has chosen a campaign of calumny against us and what we represent,” he said.
While challenging PDP in Lagos on why they have not been making headway more than 20 years in the state, he said: “Please put the same question to others who had suddenly found their voices after my exit from their party, ask and challenge them to produce their polling unit results for Atiku in the last election or was Atiku, one of the founding fathers of PDP also a ‘problem’ just like Jandor?”
He added: “I won my polling unit for PDP in both the presidential and governorship elections, even the Lagos PDP chairman who released a false statement on the eve of election that party members should work and vote for another party, could not deliver for the other party he canvassed for. We defeated him in front of his house. Our story in the PDP was a case of working with perennial political saboteurs but we have resolved to love our future much more than we hate our past.”
He explained that together with his supporters, and well-meaning Lagosians are moving back to APC, noting that the primary reason a political party exists is to win elections.
“After extensive consultations with family, political associates, elder statesmen, supporters, and well-meaning Lagosians who share our vision for a greater and more prosperous Lagos, and in identifying that the primary reason a political party exists is to win elections and ultimately form the government to contribute to the welfare, security and total development of the people, we wish to formally announce that we have decided to join a political party that considers winning for its members as top priority, not minding who is on the ballot.”
“We have decided to return to the APC. Before you are quick to remind me of the reasons upon which we left APC in the first place, let me respond with a popular Yoruba adage that says if a woman has not tried two husbands, she probably would not know which is better. In APC,
“We have a leader, even if you fault his selection choices, you can’t fault his desire to always win for his party to the benefit of all members, followers and the state. While in Lagos PDP, you have a leader that will, at every election cycle work against his own party, and willfully dash the hopes of many party members and followers. We have chosen the better alternative.
“Our journey in the PDP during the 2023 gubernatorial election and the election petition at the tribunal through to the Supreme Court was driven by a sincere desire to win for PDP and serve the people of Lagos state. While we remain proud of the campaign we ran and the support we garnered, we believe that working within the fold of the APC offers a more viable platform to deliver on our promises of good governance for all Lagosians, even if I am not the one on the ballot.
“Our return to the APC is not a decision made lightly. It is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to the progress of Lagos State and our belief that unity among progressives is essential to achieving the collective aspirations of our people.”
