On Thursday, approximately 5,000 members of the Lagos4Lagos Movement defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC) (APC).
The development is a major setback for the PDP’s governorship candidate in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran (Jandor), in his bid to unseat Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the 2023 elections.
Former Nigerian Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki welcomed a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) known as the Lagos4Lagos movement to the Peoples Democratic Party in November 2021. (PDP).
Olajide Adediran, also known as Jandor, led members of the Lagos4Lagos movement from the state’s 20 local governments to the PDP.
However, some of them have abandoned the PDP in favour of the APC.
WITHIN NIGERIA, the defectors were greeted by Lagos Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, who expressed delight at seeing people who have been misled retrace their steps.
He reassured them that they had made the right decision and presented the defectors with the APC flag.
The Lagos Deputy Governor also urged the returnees to support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid in 2023.
Hamzat said;
It is possible for anyone to be misled but it would be foolishness to continue in the wrong direction after discovering the right path.
The state is moving in the right direction. This is the right decision. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has an eye of talent and the ability to manage people. This is the time for us to vote for someone who knows the way. It is good you retraced yourselves back. I must tell you that you have made the right decision.
It is people who make towns, cities and countries great. I am excited that you have seen the reason to support Asiwaju.
The Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, also added his voice and promised better dividends of democracy for the Lagos people.
Why We Returned To APC
The defectors’ leader, Idowu Daramola, explained their decision to leave the PDP for the APC by saying Jandor has not demonstrated that he knows what he’s doing, thus the decision.
Daramola expressed disappointment, claiming that Jandor chose Nollywood actress Funke Akindele as his running mate without consulting them.
Jandor, in his opinion, has not been transparent about party finances in Lagos.
He said;
We were supporting Jandor because we believed he had a vision, but we found out it was not what we thought. What changed our mind again was Asiwaju’s presidential ticket. We have to move when Asiwaju got the presidential ticket of APC to support him.
This is a great opportunity for anyone that is a Lagos resident, and the Yoruba nation, to support Tinubu. We have told everybody that we needed to go back because we discovered we were going in the wrong direction.