All is not well with the Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Its candidate in the last governorship election, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, has unilaterally declared himself the leader of the party. Assistant Editor EMMANUEL BADEJO, who has been following the development, reports
The Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may be heading towards another major crisis, if the recent declaration by Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the party’s governorship candidate in the last general election, is anything to go by.
Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, declared at the weekend that, having put up a good effort during the election, he has become the party leader in Lagos. Not a few members of the embattled opposition party have questioned his justification for making such a claim.
Jandor who performed woefully in the 2023 governorship election is believed to have overreached himself. He came a distant third in the race, with only 62,449 votes; behind Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 762,134 votes and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP) who scored 312,329 votes.
At the time the party at both national and state levels should be taking stock of its performance in the last election, Jandor called some of his loyalists to appreciate them. But, in reality, the meeting, which was mainly attended by members of his campaign council, was aimed at mobilizing his supporters within the party for the 2027 election.
Speaking to the gathering, Jandor said he remains the apex leader of the party at the moment and that he is ready to provide leadership ahead of the 2027 elections. He said: “I am saying this with due respect to all other faithful leaders that I met in the PDP. They should know this is a constitutional matter; I do not have control over it except I choose to leave tomorrow, and I am not going anywhere. This is my party.
“For every party member, who is looking for a true leader that is selfless, a leader you can beat your chest over, I am ready to provide leadership for all of you, irrespective of the tendencies you belong to.”
Jandor said any leader who doesn’t want to be a member of the PDP again should carry his bag and go. He accused some party leaders of anti-party activities in the last general elections.
He said: “For those who have declared for the LP, they should stay there. Those who have gone to the APC should enjoy it; so that we can those that remain in the fold. In the 2023 election, we worked hard; and went everywhere – places that had never been visited in the history of this state politically – to campaign.
“We slept in many local government areas and stayed with the people. That was the kind of rigorous campaign we ran in the 2023 election. One cannot put in such investments and some people would decide to play against the party and won’t get hurt.
“We didn’t lose the 2023 election because we didn’t work, no! That is why I am here to appreciate all of you. You are my heroes, you did very well. We ran a campaign like never before. I brought you together to say thank you. You did well.”
He said the event was not to grumble about the past but to appreciate all those who spent sleepless nights with him during the campaign. He added: “We have chosen this path; there is no going back. We will stay fitos to give Lagos a breath of fresh air.”
Adediran urged the national leadership of the party to listen to the voices of patriotic and loyal leaders calling for firm action against unpatriotic leaders. He said no one would take the party seriously if such leaders were still forced on the people.
Insisting that he had no regret whatsoever participating in the poll, the PDP chieftain said he was rather proud of his achievements in the election. He added that some PDP leaders had been working against the party over the years and that it had become their stock in trade.
While some close party faithful were jolted by Jandor’s declaration, others said the political parley was a ploy to preempt the outcome of the intra-party review of what transpired that led to the abysmal performance of the party during the last poll.
Observers do not see the rationale for Jandor to declare himself the party leader, as being its flag bearer in an election does not automatically make him the apex leader.
Jandor was challenging leaders of the party in Lagos, like Chief Bode George. One of the founding fathers of the party, George rose to the position of Deputy National Chairman (South) at a time. He is generally regarded as the leader of the party in Lagos State.
But, George and some leaders of the party in Lagos fell out with Jandor during the campaign and withdrew their support for his candidacy. They declared support for the candidate of the LP.
Their decision was based on unresolved intra-party disputes. Following an unimpressive performance of the party during the election, Jandor’s loyalists had accused some of the party leaders, of anti-party activities and called for their suspension.
Countering that move, some party elders warned Jandor to desist from denigrating leaders of the party. The party elders included George, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Mrs. Onikepo Oshodi and Dr. Charles Akitoye. In a communique signed by 22 of them, they made the following declaration: “We hereby state that henceforth, Mr Olajide Adediran, the PDP’s former governorship candidate in Lagos should desist from further denigrating leaders and elders of the party, contrary to the provision of Section 58 (I) (H) of the constitution of the PDP as amended in 2017.
“We recognise the fact that as a new member of the party, Mr Adediran may not be conversant with the cultures, traditions and provisions of the party’s constitution, hence we admonish him to conduct himself in conformity with the cultures and norms of the party, failure which would leave the party with no other choice than to invoke appropriate disciplinary measures against him.”
They also urged him to disband his political group, “Lagos for Lagos” because the party does not condone grouping within its fold. Subsequently, they passed a unanimous vote of confidence on Chief Bode George, affirming his leadership of the party.
Part of the communique reads: “That, the PDP does not condone groupings within its fold; hence, the group such as the Lagos for Lagos should be disbanded forthwith, going by the provisions of Section 58 (I) (J) of the constitution of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as amended in 2017.”
Reacting to Jandor’s claim, Chairman of the party, Philip Aivoji said: “I don’t think it is something to be bothered about. Constitutionally, he cannot be the leader of the party and he’s not the first candidate we’ve picked and he’s not going to be the last.
“Well, I don’t blame him; he doesn’t know the constitution of the party; I don’t think it’s something to talk about. He is just fooling himself. Even the so-called gathering where he made that declaration, did any notable party member attend?
“He is not even a member of our party; he just came and grabbed the ticket. I think keeping quiet is the best and they said silence is the best answer for a fool.
“I don’t have any concern about him; when did he join the party and what has he done for the party for him to publicize himself as the leader of the party? Everything he has been doing is against the party. Let him give an account of the money given to him for the election.”
In a statement signed by Aivoji, the party directed Jandor to withdraw his claim and apologise immediately.
Aivoji said such claim was mere falsehood, divisive and an affront to the constitution of PDP in the state, meant to mislead unsuspecting members of the public.
The statement that read in parts said: “The attention of the State Executive members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to the publication in the Vanguard newspaper of Sunday, March 10, 2024, where Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adeniran ( Jandor), the gubernatorial candidate of our party in the last general elections, was quoted to have said he remains the apex leader of Lagos PDP.
“We will like to put it on record that the PDP is a political party governed by the rule of law and the party constitution remains supreme in the operation of the party where the Lagos state chapter derives its authority and there is nowhere in the constitution of the party where leadership is conferred on any candidate of the party.
“Therefore, the statement ascribed to Jandor is a falsehood, divisive and an attempt to mislead unsuspecting members of the party in the state and the public at large.
“The State Chairman of the party remains the leader of the party in Lagos State and section 22 of the party constitution is sacrosanct on the establishment and composition of the party state caucus and there is nowhere the candidate of the party is mentioned as a member of such leadership position.
“This is important in order to put the record straight and to enlighten loyal members of the party on the leadership composition and operation of the party in Lagos state. Also, no section of the party constitution confers on any individual or group to expel any member of the party as this power resides only in the State Executive Council and the NWC.
“The Lagos state executive members found the statement as an affront and casting of aspersion on their personalities and the position they hold in the party and will therefore urge Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran to withdraw the statement and apologise for making such.
“While the Lagos State chapter of our party holds all our present and former members of the BOT, NWC, NEC and national leadership of the party in high esteem, it won’t condone any attempt by any member to cast aspersion on their personalities.
“We wish to inform our teeming members in the state that the leadership of the party is working assiduously to ensure that all aggrieved members of the party are placated and reconciled to enable the party rebuild the confidence the good people of Lagos state has in us that gave the party elected members into both the State Assembly and the House of Representatives prior to the last general elections when all was lost.
“It is also important to warn unscrupulous leaders and members of the party, who have continued to constitute nuisance within the party and causing dis-affection through misinformation, rumours and casting of aspersion on the leadership of the party in the state, to henceforth desist from such for the benefit and growth of our dear party.”
Another chieftain of the party who prefers to be anonymous, defended the decision of many party leaders to renounce support for Jandor’s candidacy at the height of the electioneering campaign. He accused Jandor of betrayal. The elder statesman, who said PDP’s loss at the poll last year was due to the candidate’s misdemeanour said: “If he’s sensible and schooled enough, he won’t lose so badly in the election.
“I blame the person who brought him to us. This young man is an infra dignitata. This guy doesn’t know anything and he needs to go for a thorough checkup. Please, ask him: can he attend the caucus meeting of the party in Southwest or at the national? Ok then; let him show up at the caucus or NEC meeting if he is the leader of the party.”
Even Jandor’s Campaign Director General, Dr. Seye Odairo is not in agreement with the former flag bearer of the party in Lagos. Odairo said Jandor’s claim of being the leader of the party is not worth his response. He added that the claim is laughable and that it shows his lack of understanding of the party’s constitution.
Odairo, who resigned his position a few days before the governorship election, said Jandor acted like a mole, who deliberately did everything to mar the chances of the party winning the election. He added: “Jandor did not intend to win that election. He scuttled all chances to get him to resolve several disputes with the party leaders ahead of the election.
“Since my loyalty is to the party and not to an individual, I tendered my resignation.”
