Major hit bedeviled the team of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Olajide Adediran ‘Jandor as over 2000 of his followers moved their political tenth towards the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state ahead of 2023 elections.

The defectors, including leaders and coordinators of the Lagos4lagos movement were received into the APC by the state deputy Governor, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, the state party chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi and members of the state Executive Council at the party secretariat.

Hamzat said it’s a thing of pleasure to welcome the defectors into the Lagos APC.
“I am very happy not because I am welcoming you back into the party but because there is no society that is good without good leaders and people of good intentions.

This is the time for Nigeria to have the right leadership. Tinubu has an eye for talent and that is what we need in the country. In welcoming you I must say you have made the right decision by joining the Progressives.” Hamzat said

In his remarks, Pastor Ojelabi described the defection as a step in the right direction.

He said, “They have realised it is time to take the right decision and join the winning team. Thank you for finding it necessary to return to the progressive family and be part of the process of developing Lagos state. You have taken the right decision because this is your party and the right party that has contributed in no small measure to the development of the State.

This is the only state that has achieved nothing less than 85 per cent of budget performance every year. The only selling point of the opposition is that the electorate should vote for the Aworis but I say the Aworis are for the APC because our party is the only party that has given Aworis opportunities to serve under the state. I urge us to use our votes as our investments for the betterment of Lagos State and for all Nigerians.”

Leader of Team Jandor in the PDP and diaspora, Hon. Idowu Daramola said the lack of accountability and transparency on the part of Jandor was the reason for their defection.

He said, “We came together to support Jandor because we believed he had a vision but what we met on ground was not what we thought. The journey started when Kunle Dabiri introduced Jandor to me in the United States of America.

“We contributed a lot of money for his campaign. We raised funds for the PDP governorship form he collected and we have been funding him non-stop since then. When he wanted to decamp from APC to PDP, we were behind his defection.

“But things changed when the chairman of the party emerged from Ojo Local Government. This was when we felt its time to leave the party for the PDP. We raised N18m for his defection to PDP.

“The ticket of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu presidential ticket changed the narrations. It was at this time I called other members that it is time we move. This is a generational change. I felt this is the time for all Yoruba to think twice and support Tinubu presidency and the second-term bid of Babajide Sanwo-Olu. It’s time for us to go back and do the right thing.

“If you have a leader that is not accountable to his people then the group is destined for destruction.”

Women leader, Lagos4Lagos, Mrs Jumoke Fakoya said, “I have been with Jandor for three years but today we are here to declare our support for the Progressives. We are from Ikorodu Central. We declare with all our members for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and other candidates of our new Party.”