Lagos PDP: Jandor is a household name — he can’t step down for Rhodes-Vivour

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos says Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the party’s governorship candidate, will not step down for any candidate.

Speaking on Monday, Hakeem Amode, Lagos PDP spokesperson, said the report that Adediran, also known as Jandor, is considering stepping down for Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Labour Party (LP) candidate, is “false”.

The statement is a reaction to a comment credited to Rhodes-Vivour that the LP is “talking to the owner of the structure of PDP” ahead of the March 11 governorship election.

Over the past few days, there have been speculations that the LP and PDP in Lagos might form an alliance to defeat the ruling party — the All Progressives Congress — in the state.

The Lagos PDP however said there is no “official conversation” between the party and LP.

“Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has debunked claims by the Labour Party Candidate PDP Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour that he’s talking with what he called “the real owners of PDP structure in Lagos State”, saying the statement as credited to the Labour Party candidate came as a disrespect to PDP, as no one can lay claims to the ownership structure of the PDP,” the statement reads.

“PDP is a proper democratic party and it’s only the state executive of the party as recognised by the national body can be described as the custodian of the PDP under the leadership of the party’s governorship candidate Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor).

“So whoever Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is talking to are only representing themselves and not Lagos PDP, as no official conversation across the two party lines at the moment, and Jandor is NOT planning to step down for any candidate.

“It is important at this time to issue this statement due to a recent statement credited to Mr Rhodes-Vivour and purported message broadcasted on a Twitter handle @zuccinille who claimed that Jandor will collapse his structure to work for a certain political party.

“Jandor as a candidate in this election achieved making the Jandor brand an household name in Lagos on his own merit due to his immense hard work, and he’s not riding on any sudden waves.”