Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) candidate for governor of Lagos State, was attacked yesterday by thugs who are thought to be APC supporters as he was returning from visiting party members in the Ikoga Junction neighbourhood of Badagry Local Government (APC).
In a statement released yesterday, Hon. Hakeem Amode, the chairman of the Team for JandorFunke 2023 Campaign Council and the Lagos State PDP's spokesperson, noted that numerous members of Jandor's entourage and press personnel were hurt during the incident.
He claimed that the individuals who attacked the campaign train were chanting "APC" and wielding threatening weapons.
He said: “You will recall that our party raised concern over the threat to use APC-sponsored thugs to attack the campaign programmes of our gubernatorial candidate Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran-Jandor recently and we would like to state categorically that this will not deter the determination of our candidate to campaign for the next election and win the election come March 29, 2023.
“We would like to call on the Commissioner of Police of Lagos state and the Area Commander of Police in the Badagry division to do everything possible to fish out those behind the attack and necessary disciplinary actions taken against them to forestall such occurrences in the future and to instill confidence in our members that they will be protected during this campaign period.
“We would like to also strongly warn those that are hell bent on causing trouble or planning to disrupt the campaign and elections that we would not fold our arms watch as we will resist all forms of intimidation.”
PRIME 9JA ONLINE reported that the PDP governorship candidate, who hails from the Badagry division of Lagos state, had met with Islamic clerics in the Badagry zone and had promised to put public interests first if elected governor in 2023.
According to him, his administration will make education free and compulsory, and establish ministries of Children's Affairs and People Living with Disabilities (PWD).
The PDP candidate said his administration would work for the masses alone.
Calling for prayers and support, Adediran said that he would work for the interest and development of the division if elected governor.
“We have faith that if we sit down and make the sacrifice, the prayers will be answered. The prayers you made some time ago, God has answered it.
“The next one is an election and only God can answer the prayers. Vote your conscience.
“Badagry can be sure that I will work for their interest. I will work for the people of Lagos and put their interest first in decision making,” he said.
In an interactive session with artisans and physically-challenged people in the Agamadeh part of Badagry, the candidate promised not to leave them behind.
Urging them to vote for all PDP candidates across the board, Adediran said that he would erase the zone’s years of neglect by successive administrations.
In their responses, the leader of PLWD, Mr Barnabas Raji, and the Chairman of Coalition of Artisans in the Local Government, Mr Kola Alatise, pledged to mobilise their members in support of Adediran.