By Olasunkanmi Akoni
At least 5,000 members of the Lagos4Lagos Movement and supporters of the Lagos Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship Candidate, Dr Olajide Adediran, Jandor, on Thursday, formally defected and received by the All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos.
Receiving the decampees, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, described the event, as home coming for the decampees, saying that it was possible for anyone to be misled, but it would be foolhardy to continue in a wrong direction after discovering the right path.
“To this end, you have made the right choice and decision,” he stated.
Hamzat, who handed over the APC flags to the decampees, at an elaborate event held at the party’s Secretariat, Acme, Ogba, area of the state, commended them for retracing their footsteps back to the party at the appropriate time.
“The state is moving in a right direction. Is only the blind would say nothing is happening in Lagos. Go everywhere, Lagosians are witnessing an unprecedented infrastructural renewal in recent time. This is the right decision.
“On our Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he has the eye for discovering talents and ability to manage people.
“This is the time for us to vote for someone that knows the way. He has walked many paths. It is good you retraced yourselves back early enough. I must tell you that you have made the right decision.
“It is people that make towns, cities and countries great. I am excited that you have seen the reason to support Asiwaju,” Hamzat said.
Earlier, state APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, commended the decampees for re-joining the progressives’ family.
Ojelabi said that the APC-led administration in the state had prioritised welfare of the residents and had improved infrastructure in the state.
“Thank you for finding it necessary to be part of the progressive family and process of developing Lagos State.
“You have taken a right decision by coming home to be part of the process. This is your party. You are not going to regret this step,” Ojelabi assured.
The APC boss urged the residents to use their votes to fast-track more progress and development in the state by voting APC candidates in 2023 general elections.
Earlier, leading the decampees back into APC, Mr. Idowu Daramola, said that the group moved back to APC because of Jandor highhandedness, lack of accountability, transparency and over-bearing attitude, among others.
Daramola, Leader of the Diaspora for Jandor, alleged that Adediran was not accountable to the diaspora supporters and financiers after contributing towards the cause of the movement.
He said that PDP governorship candidate also failed to consult the diaspora members, before he chose the Nollywood Actress, Ms. Funke Akindele, as his deputy.
Daramola also added that the emergence of Tinubu as the Presidential Candidate of APC, equally changed the political equations, which made the group to re-track their ways back to the ruling party to support its presidential candidate.
According to him, “We were supporting Jandor because we believed he had a vision but we found out that it was not what we thought.
“What changed our mind again was Asiwaju’s presidential ticket. We have to move when Asiwaju got the presidential ticket of APC to support him.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone that is Lagos residents and the Yoruba nation to give support for Tinubu.
“We have told everybody that we needed to go back because we discovered that we were going the wrong direction,” he said.
Other leaders of the decampees Mr. Tunde Kazeem, the South Africa Coordinator and Mr. Ahmed Mefeola, Chairman, Jandor Legacy Forum reiterated that they had expended huge money on Lagos4Lagos Movement to the tune of over N18 million before they retraced their way back to the party.
Other leaders of the movement who made remarks were: Kunle Dabiri, Adeola Osundairo, Jumoke Fakoya, Women Leader, LagosLagos, Ikorodu Central, Fredrick Falana, Temitope Adebanjo, alias “Di-Mario” among others.
