Returning To APC Is Homecoming-JANDOR

The Team Leader of the Lagos4Lagos, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olajide Adediran aka Jandor has said that his purpose of returning to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to ensure that the party keeps winning elections in Lagos and Nigeria.

 

Jandor stated this during his official visit to the executive of the Lagos State chapter of the APC at the party's secretariat in Acme, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday.

 

He stated further that after his resignation from the PDP, it was his first official visit to the executive of the APC to tell them of his coming back home and to also tell the Chairman of the state chapter of the party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi of the plan of his mass declaration in his usual manner.

 

"I just want to tell them that we are back to the party to join our numerical strength to the party and to ensure that we keep winning for Nigeria and the state of Lagos and our focus is to ensure that we dismantle the gang-up against the President and return him to Abuja as the President of Nigeria in 2027.

 

"We have chosen this path and we are not deviating from it, we will continue to exercise our constitutional right to be part of the process. 

 

"In 2027, the only thing that would be different from 2023 is that we will ensure that we support whoever the party puts forward. But I have not said and this is not to say that I am pulling out of the race. What would be different is that we will obey the constitution of the party. 

 

"We wish to tell the people to keep hope alive, they should keep believing in the government of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

"On the local governments elections, I believe the party's leadership knows what to do and they would do the best and whoever the party chooses should enjoy the support of other aspirants," he said.

 

Jandor added that the visit was not a declaration proper, but that it was just to formally inform the executive of the party of his decision to return home. 

 

He recalled that he said when he was resigning from the PDP that the only reason upon which political parties are established is to be able to win elections and thereafter form the government. 

 

"So anything outside that, you will just be referred to as a social club. We are happy to come back to the winning family. Why does it have to take us two years before we do that? Just like you know, Jandor has always been a man of conviction. I don't just follow the crowd.

 

"Leaving the APC in the year 2022 to joining the PDP, that was us looking for a platform to be able to express our can-do ability. And to the glory of God, we were able to tell the world what we can do, you know, and what we represent. And we want to thank you for also putting us on our toes during the electioneering process. 

 

"Now, it's my pleasure, Mr Chairman, to inform you officially that not only that we have returned home, just like I've been saying, the most important thing on the agenda for us is to be able to see how we can retain the centre, and that's our priority. 

 

"Retaining the centre means that, you know, the gang up that is going around the country in the name of coalition, one of the reasons why Jandor had to pull out of that is to look at the whole thing," he said.

 

He stressed that his focus is to bring his numerical strength to join the party, and being able to canvass support and go everywhere across the country, and ensure that Mr President returns to office in 2027.

 

He added that that this is the number one on his agenda, and that every other thing is secondary. 

 

He said: "Whatever it is anybody wants to do, this time around we are ready, you know, to abide with the party's decision or whoever, you know, will run at whatever level in the state, we are going to do everything humanly possible to support whoever the party decides to support at the end of the day.

 

"Mr Chairman, briefly after this visitation, I just need to inform you of how we intend to do our official declaration. 

 

"The first thing that we'll do after this visitation is to return home, and I'm sure you will still be the one that will receive us by coming to Ojo Local Government, to go and register proper and be received at the level of the local government, after which we'll now do our open declaration. Unfortunately, we don't have enough space. 

 

"What we try to do is to cut our central working committee into half and use just three coaster buses to bring them here. Some are outside. We are everywhere. 

 

"Lagos4Lagos has structures from ward to state levels, and we also have apex leaders. We are not coming to compete with the status quo. We are coming to infuse ourselves into the status quo. 

 

"We're not coming here to drag positions or to drag anybody. We're coming, like I said, to join our numerical strength to the existing one within the party and continue to see Lagos winning for the people of Lagos. 

 

"On this note, Mr Chairman and the State Executive Council here present, I want to thank you very much sincerely and thank all the members of the party because the reception since we announced our return has been very warm, I must say.

 

"And I also want to congratulate you on the ongoing process of the local government election. We will be available to support whoever the party has decided to run in our respective local governments and join in the electioneering campaign across the local government and also ensure that we win for all our members. Thank you very much."

 

 

In his response, the Chairman of the APC in the state, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi  thanked those who have been standing by Jandor for believing in his philosophy of making a contribution towards the growth and development of Lagos State. 

 

"Thank you for the perseverance, thank you for the loyalty, and thank you for the commitment that we must make an impact. I want to appreciate you and thank you very, very warmly.

 

"Today is very, very historic. When he called me about coming home, I got the feeler first from the Presidency, when we were visiting Mr. President and they told me whether I would like to be part of the visit.

 

"If you have political power, other things will follow. I want to thank him, and I want to thank our brothers, that when he left, it was tough. 

 

"People thought Jandor was going to create a serious crisis within a family, a small family. I have no apologies. I want to give glory to Almighty God, that from the two ends, God gave us that wisdom to be able to navigate, that there was no much acrimony that we would need to confront ourselves during the course of that particular journey.

 

"And that made it very, very easy when he said, he was coming back home. We're all delighted. I want to thank you, and I want to appreciate you, that without your official visit to the party, you decided to extend some material supports to our followers," he said.

 

Ojelabi stated that the party had never lost any election in Lagos states since 1999, and that what they  witnessed in 2023 was very ridiculous. 

 

"As President Bola Tinubu turned the number of council chairman from 20 to 57, increased the number of vice chairmen, increased the number of supervisory councillors, and increased the councilors from 245 to 376, now multiply the number of secretaries and others. As we speak today, we are having 800 of them. This is a man that has given us that particular platform.

 

"Ever since the creation of that very, very big positions, he has not contested. Now we went into an election in2023. Like I said, we have never failed in the presidential election.

 

"But what happened in 2023 was a big shock to all of us. And we keep on racking our heads. What do we do to make sure that we don't have a repeat of it come 2027, we have to work hard," he said.

 

He stated that it was after 30 years when the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo agitated to be president and failed that the late Chief MKO Abiola tried too and failed and that It was after 30 years that President Bola Tinubu contested to be the president of the nation.

 

He stressed that if President Bola Tinubu had not surrendered himself for the presidential battle in 2023, a Yorubaman might not have been able to get there. 

 

"I want to appreciate you that yes, as a true son of the soil, you have a role to play. You have a responsibility to make sure that that particular basket where they are putting the fruits, you want to make sure that that the sticks are counted and is full. God Almighty will continue to do it. 

 

"I want to assure you that you have taken a right step. This is your party. And if you look at his trajectory, those who confronted President Bola Tinubu from the other party or position, anytime they return to the party and show their strength and show whom they are, they reap bountifully. You're all aware how critical the late Prince Ademola Adeniji Adele was to President Tinubu then.

 

"You probably remember my brother, Musilu Obanikoro. The moment they crossed over, they will get it right.

 

"I want to assure you, your own is even more because you heard it from my people and almost all of us, that this is your home. We started together.

 

"We want to maximize the opportunity of this presidency to attract development to the state, and to lift our people out of poverty level. 

 

"Today, as the chairman of all the party, I have to tread softly because when you get to a point, they'll say, after all, you did not deliver now, if it is the way you people did not deliver that others did not deliver, you will not have the presidency. With you people coming on board, I'm sure we'll be able to erase that particular record and become very, very victorious," he said.