“Sanwo-Olu’s gentle style defeated me in 2023” – Jandor confesses after return to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2023 Lagos State election, Dr Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as JANDOR, has admitted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s calm and gentle disposition was a key reason he lost the election.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with the governor at Lagos House in Ikeja, JANDOR described Sanwo-Olu as warm, composed, and difficult to provoke — even during the heat of the campaign.

He said: “Mr Governor is very warm. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – he is truly a gentleman. There was nothing I didn’t do to provoke him. I poked and poked. But he remained calm throughout. This is one of the reasons he retained the governorship of Lagos State.”

JANDOR, who recently rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the visit was to officially inform Sanwo-Olu of his defection from the PDP and to discuss strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

“I’m sure it’s no longer news that JANDOR has returned to his original political family. We had a formal declaration at the local government level last Friday, and today’s visit is to inform the state’s number one citizen officially,” he stated.

He also expressed strong support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, saying his return to the APC will help unify the party and mobilize youth support.

“We are joining our numerical strength with that of the party to bolster its chances of winning. The house was divided in 2023, but now we are united again. Our goal is to ensure Mr President gets a second term so the baton can be passed to the next generation,” he added.

JANDOR emphasized the need to avoid another generational reset in leadership, stressing that a united APC is the best path to continued stability in Nigeria.