Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the Lead Visioner, Lagos4Lagos Movement, on Thursday formally declared to run for Lagos State governorship seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general election.
Adediran, at his declaration in Ikeja, called on the PDP family to unite and rise above every suspicion capable of truncating the party’s chances in the forthcoming elections, which he described as bright.
The aspirant, popularly known as Jandor, who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the PDP, said that the APC reign in the state had come to a terminal point.
He said: “There is a terminal point for everything and the terminal point of APC in Lagos is 2023.
“We were the APC, we have created that implosion in APC and we are now in PDP.
“PDP has been doing between 30 per cent and 34 per cent in every election year.
“So, the 20 per cent which PDP needs to cross that threshold is what we have brought in from APC to PDP.
“We want Lagos PDP to look at every aspirant running for this office and gunning for the ticket and see which one of them can truly win the election for the party.
“Let the party give the ticket to that person and let us see how we can work together.
“We have never been this hopeful, 2023 is the year for us to take Lagos and return it to the people of Lagos.”
Adediran, who stated that he knew Lagos very well, said he understood the state and was ready to change the narrative if elected.
He added: “Lagos is a wealthy state.
“If we have a leader that is compassionate with emotional intelligence, there is no how the resources of the state will not work for the state.
“We will do something differently.
“We want the money of Lagos to work for the state.
“I will not disappoint the party and its stakeholders.
“We should not work against one another.
“We should do whatever that will help us to win election.”
He said that the fear from some quarters that Lagos4Lagos Movement wanted to take over the party or would likely hijack the party was unfounded.
Adediran said that since the old members of PDP over 20 years could not achieve the dream of winning the state, the coming in of the Lagos4Lagos Movement was a big opportunity for the PDP to win.
The aspirant, who noted that he had a humble beginning, said he was seeking the job to make the state work for the people as against an individual or few people.
He assured Lagos residents that his administration would change the narratives in education, infrastructure, traffic, economy, healthcare and security among other sectors.
He said: “For us, we will make primary education free and compulsory with free uniforms for pupils the moment we come into office.
“We will provide everything children need to be in school.
“We are returning law and order back to Lagos.”
Adediran said that his administration would create a Ministry of Disability to take care of people living with disability as critical stakeholders in the state.
In his remarks, Alhaji Mumumi Gambari, representing the Arewa Community, described the declaration of Adediran as “the coming out of the sun”, adding that the group was behind his aspiration.
Also speaking, Dr. Jonathan Nnaji, representing the Igbo community in Lagos, expressed confidence that Adediran would win the 2023 Lagos governorship poll, adding that Igbos in the state were committed to the cause.
Another PDP chieftain, Funsho Awe, said that it was time for the people of Lagos to take over the state from those who had subjected them to slavery, saying: “This declaration is the beginning of the best thing to happen to the state.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event was attended by PDP stalwarts and party leaders and members from various wards and local governments across the state.
Some of the chieftains of the party at the declaration included Chief Abayomi Kuye, Chief Onikepo Oshodi, Chief Wahab Owokoniran, Deji Wellington and Chief Adio Salami.