Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmen in LGAs across Lagos have said the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the main opposition platform directed Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, also known as JANDOR, the party’s governorship candidate to work for victory of his counterpart in Labour Party (LP), Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, by stepping down for him, few days to the 2023 guber poll, but which former bluntly rejected.
The chairmen, under the banner of Lagos PDP LGA Chairmen Forum, made this disclosure in a release jointly signed by its chairman, Hon. Adeboyega Adegbesan, and secretary, Hon. Malomo Adelabu respectfully, saying that Atiku and national leadership of the party took the step in collective interest as they saw the need for collaboration between PDP and LP to secure victory of Rhodes-Vivour, following the loss suffered by Alhaji Atiku at the 2023 Presidential poll.
According to the Forum, the party at the National took the step because it felt there was the need to collaborate with the parties in the governorship election in order to have as many states as possible for PDP, adding: “Lagos was one of the states that they had in mind.”
It, however, blamed JANDOR for refusing to step down for Labour Party candidate as directed, saying that he was the architect of his own misfortune due to failure to listen to advice and disregard for the leadership of the party, among others.
The chairmen said it was on account of establishing working arrangements with Labour Party that Atiku invited JANDOR to his Abuja home, noting that the invitation came two days after Mr. Peter Obi had discussion with JANDOR on same issue.
It disclosed that the Abuja meeting had in attendance Alhaji Atiku, a retired General, and one other powerful Northern leader, but said JANDOR rejected the move, maintaining his stand “that he was not ready to step down for Labour Party Candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, and that the only condition was for Gbadebo to step down for him because he has his Awori people behind him.
“After the PDP lost the presidential election, the party at the National felt there was need to collaborate with the parties in the governorship election in order to have as many states as possible for PDP.
“Lagos was one of the states that they had in mind. The Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, H. E. Peter Obi, called JANDOR on how PDP and Labour can collaborate for the governorship election. JANDOR told Peter Obi point blank that he was not ready to step down for anybody and the only condition was for the Labour candidate to step down for him. And that if the reconciliation must work, he must be the one that must be on the ballot.
‘Two days after Peter Obi had discussion with JANDOR on the issue of working with Labour Party, H. E. Atiku Abubakar, our presidential candidate invited JANDOR to his Abuja home on the same issue of working arrangements with Labour Party.
“The meeting involved H. E. Atiku, a retired General and and one other powerful Northern leader. The issue of collaboration was raised and JANDOR stated that he was not ready to step down for Labour Party Candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, and the only condition is for Gbadebo to step down for him because he has his Awori people behind him,” the chairmen said.
They recalled that, to further achieve the aim, an enlarged meeting was suggested which involved seeking the opinion of key party leaders in Lagos State, through phone calls, including the former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, on the way forward, saying that all the leaders made it clear to them that the best and ideal thing to do was to have a relationship with the Labour Party.
The Forum said all the leaders based their decision on “the outcome of Presidential Election of 2023 where Labour scored 582,664 votes as against PDP that scored 75,750 votes.”
“When the enlarged meeting was asked to suggest the way forward on how they can make progress on the collaboration, they suggested that a call should be made to Chief Olabode George and seek his opinion on the way forward.
“From the venue of the meeting in Abuja, a call was made to Bode George and other notable leaders in Lagos on the issue of working relationship with Labour Party. All the leader made it clear to them that the best thing to do is to have a relationship with the Labour Party. That is most ideal and reasonable thing to do is for JANDOR to step down for Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour because the leaders based on their analysis of the outcome of Presidential Election of 2023 where Labour scored 582,664 votes as against PDP that scored 75,750 votes,” the PDP LGAs chairmen stated.
Reacting, JANDOR dismissed every word contained in the release issued by the Forum, saying it was cooked up to justify their anti-party activities which he said they openly carried out with impunity.
The PDP standard bearer said at no time did NWC or anyone invite him, or his campaign organization to any meeting for the purpose of merger, stepping down or otherwise, even as he noted that there were procedures for merger between two political parties, that would lead “all the Actors involved to announce such merger or arrangement” to the public.
“Every word contained in the supposed LGA Chairmen forum release was cooked up to justify their anti-party activities which they openly carried out with impunity.
“At no time did NWC or anyone invite me, or my campaign organization to any meeting for the purpose of merger, stepping down or otherwise.
“In anyway, there are procedures for merger between two political parties, and there is no how such will happen without the two political parties going to press with all the Actors involved to announce such merger or arrangement,” he stated.
“The public may need to tell them to produce minute of such meeting or the correspondence from the NWC directing them to do so,” JANDOR added.
The PDP chieftain, however, said the disclosure made by the LGAs Chairmen’s Forum had confirmed that they all worked against the party in Lagos State, declaring that all the reasons adduced in the release “are mere attempt to justify their evil deed.”
“At least, one thing has been put to rest, the LGA Chairmen Forum in their release has confirmed that they all worked against the party in Lagos State, and all the reasons adduced are mere attempt to justify their evil deed,” Jandor said.