Jandor is Ready to Move If…
A young politician within the fold of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adeniran, better known as Jandor, is giving the powers that be sleepless nights with his insistence on making a profund change in the political affairs of Lagos State with or without his party’s support
If there are any reservations that the convener of the Lagos4Lagos Movement Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adeniran, better known as, Jandor, would lower his sight on his quest for a Lagos for all, those doubts were probably dispelled at a recent meetingwithjournalists.
Without mincing words, the frontman stated that he is willing to walk away if his current political party, All Progressive Congress (APC) continues to frustrate his efforts. Adediran who applauded the mandatory registration and revalidation exercise of party members as instructed by the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, said that the Lagos4Lagos Movement is for rebuilding the party and if its intentions are frustrated by others, it will not remain in the party.
“Whatever numbers we have gotten for the party can be taken elsewhere if they are unrepentant to change. Lagos4Lagos is here to give Lagosians a breath of fresh air. If it’s not going to work here, it’s going to work elsewhere,” he said matter-of-factly.
If found on the horns of a dilemma, Adediran easily disclosed that he will rather embrace the devil than swim in the deep blue sea.
“A lot of people criticised us when we read our mobilisation strategy for the APC legislature. But whether we like it or not, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC will still be the dominant parties in 2023. But that does not mean that we can’t do something outside these political parties.”
Notwithstanding, Adediran indicated that his organisation was willing to help set things right in the party because “politics is all about structure and that’s what the movement has been doing. The intra-party exercise is needed and although there are already dissenting voices, we believe we can push out the bad eggs within the party.”
Adediran is particularly happy that the party is embarking on the re-registration and revalidation of party members. It is something that his party has already embarked on before the announcement by the NWC. As at the moment, the Lagos4Lagos Movement has over 50,000 registered members. He also revealed that the organisation has set up a committee of 852 members across local governments and wards as well as ensuring that there is at least one representative in each polling unit.
“It happens to be one of our prayers to the national body of the party. We are ready to populate the party with young energies.”
He argued that the party needs total overhauling so that “we can ascertain the number of members we have...We are not unmindful that there are some elements within the party trying to frustrate this process but don’t forget you can only complain if you are not benefitting from this exercise.”
He insisted that the APC in Lagos must be one that is for all and not for an individual who dictates who will be the party’s flag bearer irrespective of the popularity of an aspirant.
“We need to rejig this party. We don’t even have primary,” he lamented.
But the possibilities of membership records being rigged is still looming. However, Adediran would not lose sleep over it. Rigging he said is a product of a controlling leader. One who doesn’t want others to rise because they oppose his cause.
“That’s why you see people printing forms and sharing among themselves, assigning the number of members they can bring to the party. The party that the NWC is proposing with this exercise is the one that everybody is a financial member. Not one that has only a sole sponsor.
“We need a Lagos that the man at the helm of affairs will be allowed to think and have a mind of his own, not one that will rely on somebody’s thinking.”
Jandor had last year made his intention to contest for the number one seat in Lagos state public. Preparations began more than three years ago with sensitisation of wards and local governments. For the young politician, it is embarrassing that a political aspirant has little or no knowledge of the wards and local governments in his state. His mission is to help whip the ruling party back in shape and eliminate the godfatherism factor choking the emergence of better leaders. How successful his mission would be is yet to be seen.