Jandor’s supporters decamp to APC | The Guardian Nigeria News

No fewer than 5, 000 members of the Lagos4Lagos Movement have dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.

   
The decampees, who include the campaign team coordinators of Olajide Adediran (Jandor), the gubernatorial candidate of the Lagos State PDP cited the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the ruling APC as the reason for their decision.
  
They were received into the APC by the state’s deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the state party chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), Sen. Ganiyu Solomon, Fuad Oki and members of the State Executive Council at the party’s secretariat in Ikeja.
   
In his opening remark, Ojelabi described the defection as a step in the right direction, saying the APC has contributed a lot in the development of the state.
   
Ojelabi said Lagos is the only state that has achieved nothing less than 85 per cent of budget performance every year, saying the only selling point of the opposition is that the electorate should vote for the Aworis.
 
He said:  “I urge us to use our votes as our investments for the betterment of Lagos State and for all Nigerians. Thank you for finding it necessary to return to the progressive family and be part of the process of developing Lagos State.”
 
On his part, the deputy governor, Hamzat, said it was a thing of pleasure to welcome them into the Lagos APC, adding that the Presidential Candidate of the APC, Tinubu has an eye for talents.

Leader of Team Jandor in the PDP and diaspora, Idowu Daramola, stated that part of the decision to decamp to the APC was because the Chairman of the party (PDP) emerged from Ojo Local Government Area.

He said, “We came together to support Jandor because we believed he had a vision, but what we met on the ground was not what we thought.
 
“We contributed a lot of money to his campaign. We raised funds for the PDP governorship form he collected and we have been funding him non-stop since then. When he wanted to decamp from APC to PDP, we were behind his defection.
 
“But things changed when the chairman of the party emerged from Ojo Local Government. This was when we felt it was time to leave the party for the PDP. We raised N18m for his defection to PDP.”
  
Also, Daramola said the emergence of Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the ruling APC influenced their decision to decamp.

      
He added, “When Jandor picked his deputy, we were not notified. He chose his deputy all by himself without consulting us. For this, we said we are returning to the APC.”
 
Coordinator, Diaspora for Jandor in South Africa and the Southern region, Tunde Kazeem, said: “We have been supporting Jandor since his declaration for the governorship seat. For some of us here, the majority of these crowds are from the PDP. We are pleased that you have welcomed us home. I feel at home already.”
  
Chairman, Jandor Legacy Forum, Hammed Mofeola, said, “I mobilised for Jandor both here in Lagos and in the diaspora. I have observed the trajectory of Tinubu. His history of making excellent leaders from former governors Babajide Fashola to Akinwunmi Ambode and now, the incumbent governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I cannot but agree to all his good deeds.
 
“Therefore, it’s a must for Tinubu to be president come 2023 because he has done a great deal for Lagos and the entire country. We must not relent in our efforts to attain victory for the party 2023.”
  
Women leader, Lagos4Lagos, Mrs. Jumoke Fakoya, said, “I have been with Jandor for three years but today, we are here to declare our support for the progressives. We are from Ikorodu Central. We declare with all our members for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and other candidates of our new Party.”