Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has claimed that his loss in the 2023 Lagos State governorship election was largely due to the unexpected surge of support for the Labour Party (LP), driven by Peter Obi’s candidacy.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate stated that the political landscape shifted dramatically after Obi won the February 2023 presidential election in Lagos. He described the development as a “tsunami” that no one anticipated, which ultimately affected the PDP’s chances in the state.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the election with 762,134 votes. Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour came second with 312,329 votes, while Jandor placed third with 62,449 votes.
Jandor maintained that before the presidential election, the PDP had built strong momentum and was actively challenging the ruling APC. He recalled that Sanwo-Olu avoided public debates with him and that his party was confident of victory. However, the political dynamics changed when Obi secured victory in Lagos, leading to what Jandor described as a wave of belief among voters that the governorship seat could also be won by the LP.
Despite his disappointment, Jandor stated that he remains optimistic about his political future. He emphasized that while he believed he could have won without the “Obi effect,” he accepted that “it wasn’t God’s time yet” for him to become governor.
Jandor, who started his political career in the APC before defecting to the PDP in 2022, has since left the party, citing internal sabotage. He criticized the PDP’s national leadership for failing to act against members engaged in anti-party activities.
Looking ahead, he confirmed that he is open to joining another political party to pursue his 2027 governorship ambition.
