The Forum of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Local Government Chairmen in Lagos has condemned the claim by the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 poll, Mr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly called JANDOR, that he remains the leader of the party in the state, urging the PDP National Headquarters to probe him over alleged funds diversion during the election. Tribune reports.
The body under the aegis of Lagos PDP LGA Chairmen Forum, said this in a statement jointly signed by its chairman, Adeboyega Adegbesan and secretary, Malomo Adelabi respectively, calling on the National Headquarters of the party, to, as a matter of urgency, set up a panel to probe JANDOR and ensure that he gives account of all the funds meant for the party’s campaign in Lagos.
“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, the Forum demanded.
But Jandor, in his reaction, quickly dismissed the allegation, maintaining that he did not collect a dime from anybody, not even the party, but instead funded his campaigns all through with his own personal money.
The PDP standard bearer, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said there was no need for anyone to probe him on campaign funds which he never received from anywhere, adding that they were ones that should account for the funds they received for the presidential poll, which he alleged “they ran away with.”
The body equally chided Jandor and some of his political associates for daring to denigrate the party leaders in the state, noting that the attitude of the PDP standard bearer before party dignitaries, including some sitting governors had been unbecoming since the day he joined PDP.
According to the Forum, JANDOR had disregarded the PDP’s traditions and structure from day one, becoming a Lord unto himself from day one, accusing him of disregarding the structures of the party, by hand-picking singlehandedly PDP’s candidates for the House of Representatives and House of Assembly, thereby creating crisis within the party.
The chairmen said this development led to several litigations in the various local government areas, up to the Supreme Court, a scenario which they noted had never been witnessed by the party before, listing the affected local governments to include Oshodi-Osolo, Ikeja, Mushin, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Apapa and Ikorodu.
Other allegation raised against JANDOR was his failure to reconcile with other aspirants of the party, who had been on ground as aspirants before his arrival to the party, but who were prevailed upon to jettison their ambition for him by the Hon. Ogidi-led Committee, from the national headquarters in Abuja.
The Forum in particular noted his disregard for party’s principles in the selection of the deputy governorship candidate, as he dumped the deputy governorship candidate, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who had emerged as the unanimous candidate from the Lagos PDP Elders’ Screening Committee, a development which it said led to the dumping of the PDP by Rhodes-Vivour for the Labour Party (LP).
“He blatantly 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 stated.
The LG Chairmen Forum, however, condemned Jandor over his allegation of anti-party activities against the party’s foremost leader in Lagos State, and former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, querying his audacity over such a pronouncement.
Speaking further, the Forum similarly condemned the party’s Senatorial candidate for the Lagos West Senatorial District in the last election, Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly known as Aeroland, describing him as an unserious party member and a burden on the PDP, since joining the party in 2010.
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 return to Lagos to hijack the Senatorial nomination for PDP, in the Lagos West Senatorial District, even when his name was not on the ballot.
JANDOR, while speaking with our correspondent, in his reaction, insisted that he funded all his campaigns for the last governorship election, saying that the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, did not fund his campaigns as close as he was to him.
According to him, the Chairmen’s Forum was only looking for excuses to justify the anti-party activities they perpetrated in the last poll exercise by throwing support for the opposition candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, adding that they had no excuse, but were just trying to justify the anti-party activities they were involved in during the last election in the state.
“Nobody gave me anything, I didn’t collect any money for my campaigns from anybody. Make it public, let everybody hear about it, nothing was sent to me. I funded all my campaigns with my personal money.
“They were the ones they gave money to for the presidential election, which they later ran away with it.
“There was no need for any probe. They have no excuse at all. They are only looking for excuses to justify the anti-party activities perpetrated by them against PDP in the last poll exercise in the state.
“I used my personal money for my election. Even as close as I am to Alhaji Atiku, our presidential candidate, he did not give me anything for my election. You should just ignore them,” Jandor stated.