Taoreed Abdullahi
The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the Lagos State governorship in the 2023 election, Dr. Olajide Abdul-Azeez Adediran, has resigned from the party.
Dr Adediran announced his resignation during a media briefing in Ikeja, stating that all his political structures have dissolved back to his original Lagos for Lagos Team.
He stated that it was clear the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, both at the state and national levels, has failed to uphold these principles, expressing his dissatisfaction with the ongoing anti-party activities, internal sabotage, and lack of discipline within the party, which have significantly undermined their collective efforts and made genuine progress impossible.
Dr. Adediran said as the governorship candidate in the 2023 election, we ran a campaign based on transformation, development, and the desire for positive change but unfortunately, the internal betrayals and lack of commitment from the party leadership hindered our chances and left many of our supporters bewildered and disillusioned. Adediran said.
Dr Adediran said after two years of contesting for Governorship election in Lagos State under PDP pointed out that during the electioneering process, the party enjoyed passionate and unwavering support from party loyalists, especially at the grassroots, but some leaders within the party saw his candidacy as a threat to their daily bread.
He highlighted that his campaign team were attacked six different times during the campaign but neither the State Chairman of the party nor any leader as such issued a statement condemning such attacks, noting that a few days before the election, the supposed leader of the party in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George, who had earlier publicly campaigned against the presidential candidate of the PDP, openly declared support for the gubernatorial candidate of another party in a press conference and also advised Lagosians not to vote for the party he claimed to be leading as a member of the Board of Trustees.
He also narrated that on the eve of the election, the State Chairman of the party Mr. Philip Aivoji, issued a false statement on all PDP platforms, speaking to an alliance that never existed, thereby telling all Lagosians that we have withdrawn from the election.
Dr Adediran said a few days after the election, it became public knowledge that the Deputy Governor of Lagos State while justifying the outcome of the election on Channels TV Morning Show, revealed to Lagosians and Nigerians alike that the PDP couldn’t have won the election because most of the leaders of the party worked against us. He mentioned names of leaders who left the party to work for them, including the Presidential Campaign Committee chairman in the state, Mr. Adedeji Doherty. Till today, none of the party leaders he mentioned have rebutted his claims; rather, they still have the audacity and effrontery to continue to parade themselves as party leaders.
Dr Adediran said that after the election, we officially complained to the party at the national level believing and expecting that the appropriate sanctions would be applied to all those who committed these anti-party offences in accordance with the provisions of the party constitution, but to our utmost chagrin, the party at the centre appointed Chief Olabode George as Vice Chairman of a disciplinary committee! The same man who openly worked against the party during the 2023 election was appointed to the disciplinary committee; what a rude shock. This singular action turned the party into a joke.
He said he has waited this long to see if there will be some sort of respite, but what we see, even at the top, is that the same set of leaders that campaigned and worked openly against the party are the ones holding the aces today. How do we trust the same people again in the next election cycle and how do we forgive those who are not sorry for their misdeeds?
Dr. Adediran noted that after deep reflection and extensive consultations with my family, political associates, and supporters, we have made the difficult decision to resign from the Peoples Democratic Party. Our commitment to the people of Lagos remains unwavering. We will continue to advocate for policies and initiatives that will uplift our state, regardless of our political affiliation. Moving forward, we will be engaging with stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to determine the next course of action that best serves the interests of Lagosians.
Dr Adediran said his next line of action would be made to the public as time goes on.
Dr Adediran said to our supporters, we thank you for your unwavering belief in our vision of a breath of fresh air in the governance of our dear state. This is not the end of our journey but the beginning of a new chapter, a transition to the realization of our shared vision and aspiration, one driven by sincerity, progress, and the true essence of service to the people.