The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has alleged that the party did not release funds for the governorship election in the state.
According to Adediran, the national leadership of the party is yet to pay party agents days after the governorship election was held in the state.
Adediran claimed that he and his deputy, Funke Akindele, ran the governorship election all by themselves.
The PDP governorship candidate charged the party’s leadership to attend to their call and resolve the financial issue as soon as possible.
Speaking on the governorship election held on the 18th of March, 2023, Adediran noted that he resisted all offers from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He noted that when the moves from APC failed, leaders and followers from the PDP who could not persevere were poached, just to destabilize the party ranks days before the election.
Adediran further stated that the defection of some people from the PDP to the APC, days before the election was the official unveiling ceremony of moles in the Lagos PDP.
The governorship candidate claimed that the same moles went as far as discouraging the PDP national body from sending any support for the Lagos governorship election.
Adediran accused the APC of resorting to violence and intimidation during the election, adding that the ruling party refused to honour the will of the people.
The governorship candidate in a statement released on Thursday said, “I am happy to report that days leading to our election, we resisted all offers from the powers that be, to back down for crumbs, and when that failed, they swooped on to covet PDP Leaders and followers, who can’t persevere for a better tomorrow, just to destabilise our ranks days to the election, part of which you would have heard the Lagos State Deputy Governor owning up to on a national Television.
“They needed that to happen so as to be able to justify their election day shenanigans, and truly…it’s the excuse they gave today for PDP performance on election day.
I am very comforted by the show of solidarity we saw at the polls and the seriousness with which ordinary citizens approached the 2023 elections. Even when the ruling government, frightened by our collective resolve and the possibility of them being exposed to not holding the will of the people, resorted to violence and intimidation, you all stood strong and protected your vote.
It is unfortunate that the ruling party refused to honour the will of the people, but our fight is proof that things have changed for the better and I am humbled to have contributed to that change.
I have refrained from putting out a personal statement after my press conference on Monday the 20th of March 2023. This is because I felt it was the best course of action in light of everything that happened during and after the elections, so as to be able to give a proper account of what transpired against the narrative of the defection of some people from the PDP to APC, which to us, was official unveiling ceremony of moles in the Lagos PDP.
These same moles went as far as discouraging the unsuspecting National body of our party not to send down any support for the Lagos Guber election, unfortunately, our party fell for it, and not a single kobo was availed us to underrtake that election.”
He also said that raw data collected by his team shows that the PDP got over 40 per cent of the total votes cast during the governorship election.
He added, “Despite all, my team and I have spent time putting together all the necessary information that characterised the elections, and raw data collected indicated we have over 40% of the total votes cast during the March 18th election in Lagos State. Very soon, this will be made public.
Like I mentioned during my Press Conference, an election is a process and not an event. At the end of my consultations, I will make public our position on the next process.
I thank you all once again for your support and will keep you all updated as we continue to work towards a Lagos that works for all.”
