Lead Visioner of Lagos4Lagos Movement, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor has declared that he will be sworn-in as Governor of Lagos State in 2023.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, 20 August, 2021, Jandor said the numerical strength of the Lagos4Lagos Movement in the All Progressives Congress in the state is overwhelming.
Explaining a point on the take of the group after its presentation to the Appeal Committee in Lagos on Thursday, 19 August, 2021, Jandor said based on the report he got about the comportment and overwhelming evidences presented before the panel, it’s expected that the Committee members will do the needful and correct the injustice that has persisted for long.
He, however, said that the Tunde Balogun led Caretaker Committee has nothing to show unlike the Lagos4Lagos which conducted a congresses and have all his people at the 245 wards across the state.
“We have the list of our people who emerged through the ward congress at all levels and their contacts for verification,”Jandor said, noting further that it’s crystal clear that the State Caretaker committee and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu were not out to conduct any congress.
“For instance, the Governor is regarded as the leader of the party in the state. If the Governor is truly the leader of the party, it’s expected that he ought to lead the process in his ward on 31 July with his people, but that didn’t happen. I was in my ward G in Ojo Local Government, that shows that we did something in accordance with the party constitution and Nigerian constitution.” He added.
Deputy Apex Leader of Lagos4Lagos, Prince Sunday Ajayi who led the Lagos4Lagos team to meet the Appeal Committee said he believes they will do the needful based on the evidences they presented, which include the list of all the 9065 ward executives across the state, videos of the sensitization programme before the congress and all the videos during the affirmation submitted to the committee.
He also explained that it was obvious that Tunde Balogun led Caretaker doesn’t have a proof that they conduct any congress on 31 July based on what transpired at the stakeholders meeting on the eve of the congress.
Corroborating Prince Ajayi, a former Vice Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Segun Aka-Basorun said:
“What we did yesterday was quite clear. We told the Appeal Committee that we have all our evidences to back up our claims. We expressed our grievances that the ward congresses committee met us at Airport Hotel on July 30, few hours to the congress without providing direction on how the congresses will be conducted. We told the Appeal Committee that it was obvious that the congress committee came with a sole purpose—to continue with unpopular way that has made our party lose supporters because of imposition. We said the Tunde Balogun committee wasn’t sincere about conducting credible congress that will berth new executive, they were merely interested in writing names. We told them how we invited INEC to come and observe the process to show that we are transparent and that we have the numerical strength in Lagos APC.
And when we didn’t see anyone showing up from their side, we conducted an affirmation. We explained to the Appeal Committee with proofs (our tellers) that we were denied the forms after we have duly paid the required fees in accordance with party directive, not a bulk purchase that they did. We told the appeal committee that even on the day of the congress when the forms had closed, the Balogun group were busy calling people to come and pick their forms,” he said.
Aka-Basorun maintained that the Lagos4Lagos Team impressed it on the Appeal Committee that APC has lost huge number of followership because of imposition — hence the need to turned a new leaf that will ensure that popular candidates that will derive their mandate from the people emerge at all levels.
