The PDP candidate for governor of Lagos State, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (also known as Jandor), has said unequivocally that he is not an APC snitch and is instead adamant about ending the party's dominance in the state.
In an interview with the Nigerian news agency NAN in Lagos, Adediran made this admission.
He responded to rumours that the APC, the ruling party in Lagos State since 1999, had "placed" him in the PDP.
The APC's presidential candidate, Chief Bola Tinubu, is said to be tight with Adediran, a former APC leader and the founder of the Lagos4Lagos Movement.
He remarked to NAN that it makes no sense for him to be the PDP's mole for the APC and to be giving the APC difficulties" in his campaigning.
Adediran said that despite Tinubu having served as the state's previous governor for a short period of time—up until January 2022—he had never personally met with him.
“It might be difficult for anybody to believe that I have never had a one-on-one meeting with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,” the candidate added.
“I have not set my feet on his Bourdillon house. Yes, I was coming from APC, but I have never been elected or appointed.
“I have only been a consultant on that corridor.”
Adediran denied that the national turmoil afflicting the PDP would have any bearing on the party’sparty’s performance in the upcoming state elections in 2023.
The G-5 PDP governors, he noted, remained influential members of the party.
Adediran stated, “We know that PDP has no problem at the national or state levels. For those who can take time to do a thorough diagnosis of the situation that is happening within the PDP, we know that PDP has no problem.”
“None of the aggrieved governors is telling party members in their respective states to do otherwise on election day.
“They are major stakeholders in PDP business in their respective states.”
Moreover, Adediran dispelled rumours that Chief Olabode George, a former PDP National Deputy Chairman and PDP stalwart in Lagos State, was opposed to his candidature.
“Chief Bode George never opposed my candidature. He is my leader; he wants to see PDP win Lagos.
“I can assure you, he is on this 100 per cent, and we are together.
“We don’t have any issue. As a national leader,” he declared.