Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, a former Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He made the announcement in a press conference in his campaign office in Ikeja on Monday.
Jandor’s defection to the APC comes just two weeks after he resigned from the PDP.
Jandor had recently held consultations with President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and other political figures following his resignation from the PDP.
His spokesperson, Gbenga Ogunleye, confirmed in a statement last Thursday that the meeting with the President took place on Monday.
The statement read, “I can confirm that Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran Jandor met with President Bola Tinubu on Monday (last week).
“He has earlier met with Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former President Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the SDP in the 2023 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, among other prominent national leaders. It is part of his ongoing consultation after his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party.
“The National Secretary of the PDP and other leaders of the party also visited him recently to appeal for the reconsideration of his resignation from the PDP.
“Dr Adediran will meet with his political associates and critical stakeholders in Lagos over the weekend and address the media by Monday, 17th March 2025.”
Adediran was the governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2023 Lagos State governorship election. He emerged as the party’s candidate after defeating other aspirants in the primaries.
Jandor, a former APC member and founder of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, had presented himself as a fresh alternative to the long-standing APC government in Lagos.
To bolster his chances and appeal to a broader electorate, he chose popular Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele as his running mate.
Akindele’s selection was strategic, aiming to leverage her massive influence in the entertainment industry and among Lagos’s youth and urban voters. However, their campaign faced significant challenges, including internal party conflicts.
Despite their efforts to present a strong opposition, the Jandor-Akindele ticket was unsuccessful in unseating the APC government. They finished behind both the incumbent governor, Sanwo-Olu, and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party.
In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sanwo-Olu as the winner of the March 18 Lagos governorship election.
