It was a moment of tough talk in Lagos Friday as People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors stormed the former capital of Nigeria to welcome into their fold a defecting member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and thousands of his supporters.
Ahead of the 2023 general election, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor) the Lead Visioner of the Lagos4Lagos movement, and a large number of his supporters have moved into the opposition PDP.
It was an elaborate ceremony attended by six incumbent governors of the party, including other party leaders.
The event, which was held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, was attended by PDP members across Lagos State and beyond, including more than ten thousand supporters of Adediran in the state who massively trooped out to express their solidarity with him.
At the event, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde who is the leader of the party in the South-West, led several party leaders and other PDP governors such as Nyesom Wike, Rivers State; Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom State; Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu State; Diri Douye, Bayelsa State; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; PDP national chairman Iyorchia Ayu; former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko; former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; Bode George, leader of the party in Lagos, among several other national party leaders.
Speaking after receiving the PDP party’s flag and constitution, Adediran said his decision to join the party was to liberate the state, pledging that he was ready to work with PDP members as a family to win Lagos State for all in the next year’s election.
“Today, we have declared for the PDP, we would join the members to win the state, not only for ourselves but for everyone. We are here to work as a family and together we can take Lagos back for all,” Adediran said.
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Okezie Ikepazu, who is the deputy chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, welcomed Adediran’s decision to join the PDP, saying that he was a link between the party and the youth. He said the presence of the PDP governors at the event was an indication of how democratic the party was.
According to him, “Our presence today is a fact that PDP is the only Democratic Party; if you are with us you would see that, which is why the national chairman is around. Adediran is the bridge that would take us to the youth. The PDP Lagos should give him an opportunity to win. He should see other PDP members like his brother so that we can win and rescue Nigeria. The ship would not stop until it moves to Aso-Rock.”
In his speech, Ayu, national chairman of the party, said the PDP was ready to win elections in the state next year and rescue Lagosians from decades of slavery, stressing that the APC has failed Nigerians despite all the promises.
“You give your life to people who deceived you with change, are you seeing it now? No more slavery in Lagos, go back and tell them, next year we are coming to celebrate PDP government in Lagos,” Ayu said.
Wike, Rivers State Governor said the defection of Adediran to the PDP had made the party in state stronger, stressing that he was optimistic that the impossible can happen in Lagos State next year.
“Jandor has made Lagos PDP family be one, the more the merrier. I like it when they say something can’t happen and it happens. See what would happen in Lagos State now,” Wike said.
