The Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, has described the candidature of Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Lagos, Olajide Adediran, known better as Jandor, as an “insult” to electorates in the state.
He alleged that the PDP governorship candidate remains an “apprentice candidate and politician”, adding that he was contesting to learn and test the water of politics.
Akosile, who was reacting to comments by Adediran that he would defeat Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his “godfathers” during next year’s election, maintained that politicians are allowed to delve into “wishful thinking”.
Adediran had on October 2022, while appearing on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, boasted that he would defeat Sanwo-Olu and his ‘godfathers’ during next year’s election.
The PDP governorship candidate had said this while reacting to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s endorsement of Sanwo-Olu’s second term bid. Wike is a chieftain of PDP
While describing Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement by Wike as “inconsequential”, Jandor noted that despite the Rivers governor’s opposition against his emergence as PDP candidate during the Lagos PDP governorship primary, he won the ticket.
He said, “Wike’s unrepentant and irreversible way of life. Wike is Wike, everybody knows. And where you have no expectations, there will be no disappointment. That, I will consider inconsequential. But what worries me is the desperation of this government, doing everything to garner support that is not there.
“Somebody (Wike) who with all his might within the PDP, who did not support me during the primary, could stop me then. How will he decide if I will govern Lagos or not; that’s for Lagosians to decide.
“I will defeat Sanwo-Olu and everybody supporting him — home and abroad — all his godfathers put together.”
But reacting to the statements during an interview with our correspondent, Akosile described the comment as “wishful thinking”.
According to him, the Lagos PDP governorship candidate is in “training school” and will graduate after next year’s election.
“Simply put, it (Jandor’s comment) is wishful thinking as far as I am concerned and that statement is an insult on Lagos electorates. Don’t forget he is a politician, but an apprentice candidate and politician.
“He will understand the game and learn better after the 2023 elections. He (Jandor) is in (political) training school and I wouldn’t want to join issues with him because I understand he is still learning the ropes.
“He is an apprentice candidate and when he is mature we can talk extensively about his chances of defeating Sanwo-Olu. But I believe he will learn during next year’s elections and graduate and if not, he will have to wait till the next election cycle in 2027,” Sanwo-Olu’s aide said.
But reacting to Akosile’s position, Adediran’s Media aide, Gbenga Ogunleye, during an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, said Lagosians would decide if the PDP governorship candidate was indeed an ‘apprentice’.
He said Akosile’s comment was not surprising judging from the fact that was doing what he was being paid to do. He noted that contrary to Akosile’s position, Adediran had begun his tour of Lagos state and he was being received warmly across the wards and local governments.
Adeleye said Lagosians were eagerly counting the days of Sanwo-Olu in the office while alleging that the people of the state were enduring the governor’s tenure.
He explained the decision of who becomes the Lagos governor in 2023 does not lie with Akosile, his principal, and the APC, saying that only Lagosians can decide that.
He said, “It (apprentice candidate) is from his (Akosile) imagination. Don’t forget he (Akosile) is also just trying to justify his pay. I do not know what he exactly meant by apprentice candidate because everyone will have a first time contesting to be a governor.
“What has Mr. Sanwo-Olu done in three years that justifies his reelection? he has failed abysmally. He has not started a project as a governor and completed that project within the last three years and whatever you see him doing has to be a project initiated by either former governors Ambode or Babatunde Raji Fashola and that is how bad his administration has been.
“No project initiated and completed in the last three years and yet he is claiming he has an IGR of over N50 billion and yet in the last three years, he has borrowed over N100 billion, what have you done with these humongous resources?
“The days of Sanwo-Olu’s government are numbered and the people of Lagos will reject them at the poll and vote them out. Akosile should be looking for another job because he is not going to retain his job in 2023 and that we are sure of.”
