Jandor Admits Past Criticisms Of Sanwo-Olu Were Politically Motivated

Former Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has admitted that his past criticisms of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, were largely driven by political positioning while he was in the opposition.

Jandor, who has since returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remarks during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television.

Responding to questions on the credibility of the APC in Lagos despite his previous criticism of the party, Jandor said opposition politics often focuses on highlighting perceived failures.

“When I was in the PDP, that was when I was in the opposing camp, and I keep saying that to our people now, that, oh, when you have somebody in ADC talking about our party and saying we have not done anything, what do you expect that person to say? He’s in the opposition, you cannot see anything,” he said.

Explaining his strategy during the 2023 election, Jandor added, “Let me tell you how I played it with Governor Sanwo-Olu in 2023, he did quite a number of things well. I won’t say them. I will pick the one they didn’t do well. Because we were playing politics. Because I was in the opposition.

“I will take what he hasn’t done or what he’s still working on. This trade, if you’re looking for what is fair, you won’t even get the opportunity to get into that office and exhibit your kind of ability.”

He further stated, “You don’t expect the opposition to see anything good in what you’re doing. If they talk about this government now, they keep shouting about something else. Forgetting that this Bola Ahmed Tinubu government, this APC government, is the first in a very long while where we will now be having university students completing their four years.”

When pressed on whether the APC remains a viable option for Lagos residents, Jandor responded in the affirmative.

“Absolutely,” he said.

Jandor, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election under the PDP, recently rejoined the APC after citing internal party challenges, including what he described as the inability of PDP leaders to discipline members who worked against the party during the elections.

He had earlier left the APC in 2021 to establish the Lagos4Lagos Movement, a platform through which he advocated governance reforms in the state, before defecting to the PDP.

In the 2023 governorship poll, Jandor finished third behind incumbent Governor Sanwo-Olu of the APC and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party.

Now an aspirant for the 2027 Lagos governorship election on the APC platform, Jandor said he has begun consultations with party leaders ahead of the primaries, while dismissing claims that any candidate has been endorsed for the race.