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I Resisted Offers to Step Down, Won over 40% of Total Votes Cast – Jandor

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By Eric Elezuo

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has narrated how he turned down offers from the powers that be to truncate his governorship ambition in the state. The PDP stalwart also claimed that amid all the unfavorable conditions that trailed his ambition from every corner, especially his party, he won over 40 per cent of the total votes cast in the election.

Jandor made this revelation while giving account of how he fared in the just concluded March 18, 2023 governorship election, which the incumbent governor and flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babajide Sanwo-Olu won, in a statement he personally signed.

While appreciating all and sundry including members of his immediate family, his running mate, Funke Akindele and Lagosians, he took a swipe at his party for abandoning in the heat of the campaign without contributing a dime, stressing that fees meant for agents are still to be released till date. He also knocked members of the party, who defected to the APC at the last minute, noting that the defection proved that there were moles in the party, and the action was necessary as the moles of yesteryears in the Lagos PDP have been unveiled.

He blamed the ruling party for the outcome of the election, citing high volume of violence and intimidation that characterised the polls. He however maintained that he is still consulting, and will soon intimate followers of the next course of action.

Read the detailed account below:

I cannot start any kind of address to my fellow Lagosians about the just concluded Lagos governorship elections without first collecting data on everything that characterized the March 18th election in Lagos State.

I must, at this point, express how overwhelmed I am with gratitude for every single person who supported the PDP in Lagos and my candidacy for governor.

From 245 wards, thousands of people joined our rallies, shared our campaign manifesto, defended our mandate, and came out in their numbers to vote.

My special appreciation goes to my wife and kids, whose understanding and sacrifice saw me this far on this project.

My party, the PDP, alongside all party members, I thank you for entrusting me with the flag of the party.

May I also use this opportunity to appreciate my running mate, Olufunke Akindele who left certainty for this uncertainty, thereby putting the love of our dear state and her people, over and above her comfort zone to join this race with me.

We ran a campaign no one has ever undertaken in the history of Lagos State politics, by visiting places that politicians, including those in power, have never been.

I am happy to report that days leading to our election, we resisted all offers from the powers that be, to back down for crumbs, and when that failed, they swooped on to covet PDP Leaders and followers, who can’t persevere for a better tomorrow, just to destabilize our ranks days to the election, part of which you would have heard the Lagos State Deputy Governor owning up to on a national Television.

They needed that to happen to be able to justify their election day shenanigans, and truly…it’s the excuse they gave today for PDP performance on election day.

I am very comforted by the show of solidarity we saw at the polls and the seriousness with which ordinary citizens approached the 2023 elections. Even when the ruling government, frightened by our collective resolve and the possibility of them being exposed to not holding the will of the people, resorted to violence and intimidation, you all stood strong and protected your vote.

Unfortunately, the ruling party refused to honour the will of the people, but our fight is proof that things have changed for the better and I am humbled to have contributed to that change.

I have refrained from putting out a personal statement after my press conference on Monday the 20th of March 2023. This is because I felt it was the best course of action in light of everything that happened during and after the elections, to be able to give a proper account of what transpired against the narrative of the defection of some people from the PDP to APC, which to us, was official unveiling ceremony of moles of yesteryears in Lagos PDP.

This same mole went as far as discouraging the unsuspecting National body of our party not to send down any support for the Lagos Guber election, unfortunately, our party fell for it, and not a single kobo was availed us to undertake that election.

Even the obligation of the party on Agent fees hasn’t been settled up till now.

We ran it all by ourselves and I am proud of everyone who played one role or the other to ensure a hitch-free exercise on March 18th, despite all the principalities that worked against us.

We sincerely hope the party harkens to our calls on this and help resolve this as soon as possible.

Despite all this, my team and I have spent time putting together all the necessary information that characterized the elections, and raw data collected indicated we have over 40% of the total votes cast during the March 18th election in Lagos State. Very soon, this will come open in public space.

As I mentioned during my Press Conference, the election is a process and not an event. At the end of my consultations, I will make public our position on the next process.

I thank you all once again for your support and will keep you all updated as we continue to work toward a Lagos that works for all…

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PDP Can Suspend, Expel Wike According to Law, Court Rules

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The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Wednesday, told the former governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the right to suspend or expel him if the action is done under the law.

Justice James Omotosho stated this in a judgment on a suit filed by Mr Wike before the 2023 general elections to seek a court order to stop PDP from taking action against him without a fair hearing.

Mr Omotosho said the court had considered the processes filed by parties and arguments of counsel.

He held that suspending or expelling the applicant without affording him the right to defend himself would breach his fundamental rights as enshrined in the party’s and Nigeria’s constitutions.

He said though the party had the right to suspend or expel its members, it must comply with its law.

The judge said that though section 46(1) of the law vested jurisdiction on the court if one’s rights had been breached, he said the court would not dabble into the internal affairs of any political party, except where the party had violated the right of a member without recourse to its laws.

“Where this right ought to be enforced, the court will do everything within its reach to ensure this.

“However, as fundamental and sacrosanct these rights are, they are not absolute,” he said.

The judge, therefore, agreed that any member of a political party who appeared before a disciplinary committee should be allowed to defend himself.

“And if not, any decision taken shall be null and void,” he said.

He said, “This court is convinced that the applicant is entitled to a fair hearing and that the respondent also has the right to discipline its members in accordance with the law.”

The judge further said Mr Wike had the right to associate and that the threat to dismiss him without inviting him to defend himself contravened Article 57 (1)(2) of the party.

He said the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and his agents were bound to promote constitutional democracy.

The ex-governor had sued the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) as first to third respondents.

Mr Wike, in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, dated and filed February 2 by his lawyer, Joshua Musa, SAN, also joined Mr Ayu; national secretary of PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission as fourth to sixth respondents respectively.

He had prayed for an order directing all parties to maintain the status quo and stay all actions relating to the threat to suspend or expel him by the first to fifth respondents, pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.

He asked the court to enforce his fundamental right to freedom of association which was allegedly about to be breached by the respondents.

But the PDP, through its lawyer, Johnson Usman, SAN, disagreed with Mr Wike’s submission.

He argued that the case was only based on speculation as Mr Wike had failed to provide evidence to substantiate that the respondents intended to suspend or expel him from the party.

He said the party had not contemplated suspending or expelling members of the G5 governors or the Integrity Group, despite engaging in anti-party activities.

He said Mr Wike and four other governors engaged in anti-party activities by forming the Integrity Group and campaigning for another presidential candidate in the February 25 election.

(NAN)

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Oyo PMS Crisis: Auxiliary Escapes As Police Kill One, Parade 78 Suspects, Recover 20 Guns

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The police on Tuesday in Ibadan paraded 78 suspects arrested for allegedly planning to wreak havoc in the city over the sack of the leaders of a roads transport group.

The state government had earlier on Monday evening announced the suspension of the Disciplinary Committee of the state’s Parks Management System, which the state government had set up to manage motor parks in the state.

The committee is led by a political enforcer, Mukaila Lamidi, also known as Auxiliary.

The suspension of the committee had caused anxiety in Ibadan where disputes among road transport unions usually led to mayhem.

A member of the disbanded group was reportedly killed during a shootout with the police on Tuesday.

The police made this known while parading 78 persons believed to be members of the dissolved PMS for unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and other criminal instruments.

Trouble started in the state after the announcement of Auxiliary’s sack through a statement by the governor’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi.

On Tuesday, the police besieged Auxiliary’s hotel where they said they recovered arms and ammunition.

The suspended transport union leader was reported to have escaped with some of his boys during the encounter.

While speaking during the parade, the state commissioner of police, Adebowale Williams, told journalists that his men went to Auxiliary’s hostel acting on intelligence of his plans to unleash mayhem.

“Sequel to the above, on Tuesday 30/05/2023 in a strategic intelligence coordinated raid around his location at Diamond Hotel, Alakia-Isebo, under Egbeda LGA, (78) Seventy-Eight suspected hoodlums who had perfected plans to unleash mayhem at the early hours of today at major parts of the Metropolis were arrested in possession of sophisticated firearms, (724) Seven Hundred and Twenty-four Cartridges assorted charms, (33) Thirty-three Mobile Phones, and a cash sum of about (N3,450,000) Three Million Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only.”

The police boss said sophisticated firearms were recovered from the hotel rooms and in the trunk compartment of parked vehicles within the hotel.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects are one AK-47 Riffle, four (4) AK-47 magazines, Eighty four (84) live AK-47 Ammunitions, Nineteen (19) pump action riffles, one Barreta Pistol, Seven Cut-to-size Gun, one English made Barrel Gun, Seven Hundred and twenty four (724) live cartridges, 25 cutlasses, Seven Jack knives, thirty three(33) mobile phones, one Samsung Laptop, Charms, One Mazda Bus, One Toyota Sienna, Cash sum of Three Million, Four Hundred and fifty thousand naira, (N3,450,000.00).

“Worthy of note is that, though the PMS Chieftain was able to escape with some of his boys during the gun duel with the Police, However a member of the group was neutralized in a gun duel with the Police.

“Recall that the same group was alleged to be responsible for the attack on (14) Fourteen members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) along Agodi axis under Ibadan North-East LGA enroute the venue of yesterday’s Inaugural celebrations.

“Furthermore, in line with Standard Operational Procedure, all recovered items were properly Documented, packaged and recorded for onward forensics analysis and for evidence purposes in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other relevant laws.”

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Building Dispute: DSS Invades EFCC Lagos Office, Denies Officers Entry

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Operatives of the Department of State Security have stormed the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from gaining access to their office in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Impeccable sources in both agencies told The PUNCH that there has been an ongoing rivalry between the DSS and the EFCC over the ownership of the building.

The Punch gathered that the DSS operatives stormed the office around 7:00 am on Tuesday, and refused to leave despite dialogue between operatives of both agencies, an impeccable source confirmed the development in a telephone interview.

An official of the EFCC who spoke with The Punch on the condition of anonymity, said, “There’s been a running battle between us and the DSS over who owns the office because the office was used by them before the EFCC came on board and it was handed over to us.

“But it’s been an administrative issue, and the matter is not in court and hasn’t caused any fracas before now. But we don’t understand why they have to block our office and deny our officials access when a new government just came in.”

“The office used to be ours, and we have been fighting over it for years now, and the EFCC knows,” a DSS source said.

Meanwhile, spokespersons for both agencies, Wilson Uwujaren of the EFCC, and Dr Peter Afunanya of the DSS did not respond to inquiries by The Punch over the development.

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