Lagos 2023 And Jandor’s Challenge Of Status-quo. July 25, 2021
By Idris Sheriff

He goes by the sobriquet, Jandor . Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, the Lead Visioner of Lagos4Lagos movement seems to have his eyes fixed on the Lagos state Ikeja House come 2023.

His group, Lagos4Lagos has become an octopus of sort in the ruling APC that the party apparatick has declared a fatwa on him.

Everywhere Jandor goes, the state quiver and clamp down on him. He has almost become a person non grata in his own political party that his birthday celebration did not only attract sanctions—it must be canceled.

Last year, after paying the normal fees and all the arrangement in place, his 43rd birthday celebration scheduled to hold at Skypower Ground, Ikeja was canceled barely twenty-four hour to the event. And the police authority in charge of the place was honest enough to disclose to Jandor that the cancellation was from the ‘power from above’. That’s not all. He was scheduled to be part of the guests of Lagos State University, Ojo to bid its iconic 8th substantive Vice Chancellor, Prof Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun farewell after a successful tenure, yet the state government insisted that his name must be deleted from the program.

His offense was that he has the temerity to challenge the Statusquo when others trembled.

At Makoko’s Day 2021, the community extended invitation to Jandor to be part of the celebration, but the state also considered it as an affront to have anything to do with the ‘Enfant Terrible’ of the Lagos politics who has never hidden his political ambition to take over power in 2023 and return the state to its glorious days when people call the shots.

It thus appears that the Awori born Journalist turned politician has an aura of invincibility around his persona that he has suddenly become a threat to the ambition of some people.

Jandor who was born in Mushin is from Ojo Local Government of Lagos state and has told those who cared to listen that the state should rise up and put an end to ‘Baba Sope’ politics that has been entrenched in the state for so long.

He has carried his message of returning power to the people to the elites and the ‘talakawas ‘ in the state that they can change the statusquo if they are really determined. His group has also challenged the N2million nomination fee imposed on the chairmanship aspirants contesting for the just concluded election in the state.

At a press conference in Ikeja recently , Bode Makinde, Principal Coordinator of Lagos4Lagos flanked by Seun Soyinka, Director, Strategy & Communications and Central Coordinator, Funke Ijaiyekunle described the nomination fee as outrageous and insensitive. He also queried the rationale behind the mode of screening of aspirants which he says was skewed to favour those in the party before as oppose to those joining when the party said all new entrants will be given a fair treatment.

Recently, Jandor returns to Police College for a sensitization rally with his teaming supporters across the state. And while the national leader of the APC , Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has proscribed both Mandate and Justice caucuses in the party, Lagos4Lagos has continued to mobilize for 2023.

Will 2023 be a defining moment for the ruling party in Lagos state?
Will Jandor upset the apple cart?
Time will tell !!!

Lagosians are really tired of the statusquo . It is evident in the just concluded LG election with respect to voter's turn out . A friend told me how they had to give even the PDP agent and few supporters money in their Polling unit in order to vote on the ballot paper, since people refused to come out and vote , even APC party members in the ward.

-erase the dot