By Chinelo Obogo
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 Adediran (Jandor) that he remains the leader of the party in the state.
Also, the Lagos PDP Patriotic Forum urged the national PDP to probe Jandor over alleged funds diversion during the election.
Similarly, the Forum of LG Chairmen condemned Segun Adewale (Aeroland), the party’s senatorial candidate for the Lagos West, describing him as a burden on the PDP, since joining the party in 2010.
The forum in a statement also expressed their displeasure at the conduct of Jandor and his associates, saying that 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. They stated that Jandor disregarded the party’s traditions and structure from day one, accusing him of being a lord unto himself.
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 Ogidi-led Committee, from the national headquarters.
The forum equally noted his disregard for party’s principles in the selection of the deputy governorship candidate, as he dumped the deputy governorship candidate, 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 effrontery 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 said.
They also revealed that the PDP presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku, invited him to Abuja to an enlarged meeting of northern elders, to prevail on him to collaborate 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 forum chided Jandor over his allegation of anti party activities against the party’s leader in Lagos State, Chief George. They also described Aeroland as an unserious member who abandoned the party in 2018, to contest as the governorship candidate of ADP in Ekiti, his home state, only to return to Lagos to contest for the senatorial nomination for PDP.
“We call on the national body of the PDP, to, as a matter of urgency, probe Jandor and let him give account of all the funds meant for the party’s campaign in Lagos,” the forum said.