Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmen in LGAs across Lagos State, under the aegis of Lagos PDP LGA Chairmen Forum had declared that the party’s presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the main opposition party directed them to work against candidates of the party in the state, including Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran the PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 General Election.
The Chairmen’s Forum made this disclosure in a release jointly signed by its chairman, Hon. Adeboyega Adegbesan and secretary Hon. Malomo Adelabi, asserting that the PDP Presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubarka and the national leadership of the party directed that they should collaborate to work for the victory of the opposition Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, while JANDOR be made to step down from the race.
According to the Forum, JANDOR and Assembly candidates of PDP in the state were directed to do this, following the loss suffered by Alhaji Atiku at the 2023 Presidential Election.
The chairmen said the party at the National took the the step because it felt there was need to collaborate with the parties in the governorship election in order to have as many states as possible for PDP, adding: “Lagos was one of the states that they had in mind.”
The Forum said it was on account of establishing working arrangements with Labour Party that Atiku invited JANDOR to his Abuja home, noting that the invitation came two days after Peter Obi had discussion with JANDOR on same issue.
It disclosed that the Abuja meeting had in attendance Alhaji Atiku, a retired General and one other powerful Northern leader, but said JANDOR rejected the move, maintaining his stand “that he was not ready to step down for Labour Party Candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, and that the only condition was for Gbadebo to step down for him because he has his Awori people behind him.”
“After the PDP lost the presidential election, the party at the National felt there was need to collaborate with the parties in the governorship election in order to have as many states as possible for PDP.
“Lagos was one of the states that they had in mind. The Presidential Candidate of labour Party, H. E. Peter Obi, called JANDOR on how PDP and Labour can collaborate for the governorship election. JANDOR told Peter Obi point blank that he was not ready to step down for anybody and the only condition is for the Labour candidate to step down for him. And that if the reconciliation must work, he must be the one that must be on the ballot.
‘Two days after Peter Obi had discussion with JANDOR on the issue of working with Labour Party, H. E. Atiku Abubakar, our presidential candidate invited JANDOR to his Abuja home on the same issue of working arrangements with Labour Party.
They recalled that an enlarged meeting was suggested which involved seeking the opinion of key party leaders in Lagos State, through phone calls, including the former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, on the way forward, saying that all the leaders made it clear to them that the best and ideal thing to do was to have a relationship with the Labour Party.
The Forum said the leaders based their decision on “the outcome of Presidential Election of 2023 where Labour scored 582,664 votes as against PDP that scored 75,750 votes.”
“When the enlarged meeting was asked to suggest the way forward on how they can make progress on the collaboration, they suggested that a call should be made to Chief Olabode George and seek for his opinion on the way forward.
“From the venue of the meeting in Abuja, a call was made to Bode George and other notable leaders in Lagos on the issue of working relationship with Labour Party. All the leader made it clear to them that the best thing to do is to have a relationship with the Labour Party.
That the most ideal and reasonable thing to do is for JANDOR to step down for Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour because the leaders based on their analysis of the outcome of Presidential Election of 2023 where Labour scored 582,664 votes as against PDP that scored 75,750 votes,” the PDP chairmen stated.
In his reaction, Jandor said every word contained in the supposed LGA Chairmen forum release were cooked up to justify their anti-party activities which they openly carried out with impunity.
At no time did NWC or anyone invited me, or my campaign organization to any meeting for the purpose of merger, stepping down or otherwise.
In anyway, there are procedures for merger between two political parties, and there no how such will happen without the two political parties going to press with all the Actors involved to announce such merger or arrangement.
“The public may need to tell them to produce minute of such meeting or the correspondence from the NWC directing them to do so”.
“At least, one thing has been put to rest, the LGA Chairmen forum in their release has confirmed they all worked against the party in Lagos state, and all the reasons adduced are mere attempt to justify their evil deed”, Jandor stated.
