Leadership Tussle: Lagos PDP LG Chairmen, Patriotic Forum Attack Jandor, Aeroland

The Forum of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Local Government Chairmen in Lagos State has condemned the claim by the party’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, that he remains the leader of the party in the state.

Also, the Lagos PDP Patriotic Forum urged the PDP National to probe Jandor over alleged funds diversion during the election.

Similarly, the Forum of LG Chairmen condemned Segun Adewale, popularly known as Aeroland, the party’s Senatorial candidate for the Lagos West Senatorial District, describing him as a burden on the PDP, since joining the party in 2010.

The Chairmen in a statement equally took a swipe at Jandor and some of his political associates for daring to denigrate the party leaders in the state.

Expressing their displeasure at the conduct of Jandor and his associates, the forum said the attitude of the PDP candidate had been unbecoming since the day he joined the party, where dignitaries of the party, which included some sitting governors and other dignitaries of the party were present.

The chairmen forum stated that Jandor had disregarded the party’s traditions and structure from day one, becoming a Lord unto himself from day one.

The forum accused him of disregarding the structures of the party, by singlehandedly hand picking candidates for the House of Representatives and House of Assembly, thereby creating crisis within the party.

This, according to them, led to several litigation in the various local government areas, up to the Supreme Court, a scenario which they said had never been witnessed by the party before.

They listed the affected local governments to include Oshodi-Osolo, Ikeja, Mushin, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Apapa and Ikorodu.

The forum noted that Jandor failed to reconcile with other aspirants of the party, who had been on ground as aspirants before his arrival to the party, who were prevailed upon to jettison their ambition for him by the Hon. Ogidi-led Committee, from the national headquarters in Abuja.

The Forum equally noted his disregard for party’s principles in the selection of the deputy governorship candidate, as he dunmped the Deputy Governorship candidate, Architect Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who had emerged as the unanimous candidate from the Lagos PDP elders’ screening Committee.

This, they said, led to the dumping of the PDP by Rhodes-Vivour for the Labour Party.

“He blantantly disregarded the party and went on to singlehandedly pick Funke Akindele, who was not a member of our party, and not even a politician. And that was what led to the cold war which later snowballed into his trouble with elders of the party led by Chief Olabode George “.

“This character was imposed on the party. Suddenly, he became a Lord unto himself. He created crisis within the party, he did not reconcile with other candidates who contested with him before he came and got the party’s ticket yet he had the effonrontary to create crisis within the party with his interference in the emergence of candidates for the House of Reps and the House of Assembly which led to several litigations”, the forum members quipped.

They also revealed that the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, invited him to Abuja to an enlarged meeting of powerful northern elders, to prevail on him for a collaboration with the Labour Party, but he vehemently turned down their plea, saying his Awori people, whom he claimed have the highest population were behind him.

The LG Chairmen Forum chided Jandor over his allegation of anti party activities against the party’s foremost leader in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George, quering his audacity over such a pronouncement.

The Forum described Aeroland as an unserious party member.

He was also accused of abandoning the party in 2018, to contest as the governorship candidate of ADP in Ekiti, his home state, only to returnto Lagos to hijack the Senatorial nomination for PDP, in the Lagos West Senatorial District, even when his name was not on the ballot.

According to them, his campaign activities as PDP candidate always witnessed intimidation, violence against members of the public.

The Patriotic Forum said: “We call on the national body of the PDP, to, as a matter of urgency, set a probe of Jandor, to give account of all the funds meant for the party’s campaign in Lagos.

“In fact, former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, questioned why on earth should his cameraman be aspiring to be the Governor of Lagos”.