Jandor: I Would Have Defeated Sanwo-Olu If Not for Peter Obi’s Political Wave

Former PDP Candidate Reflects on 2023 Lagos Governorship Election

Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has claimed that he would have won the 2023 Lagos State governorship election if not for the unexpected surge in support for Labour Party’s (LP) Peter Obi.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Jandor explained that the massive backing Obi received in Lagos during the presidential election reshaped the political landscape, leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a disadvantage.

“The 2023 election came with this tsunami that nobody ever expected, and it was there for everybody to see,” he said.

How Obi’s Victory in Lagos Affected the Governorship Race

Jandor pointed out that Obi’s victory in Lagos during the February 2023 presidential election created a political shift, influencing the governorship poll that followed weeks later.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the governorship election with 762,134 votes, while Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour came second with 312,329 votes. Jandor finished third with 62,449 votes.

Jandor insisted that, before the presidential election, the PDP was strongly positioned to challenge the APC.

“Before the general election, we were on the streets of Lagos, and the ruling party was nowhere to be found. We had several debates, and he (Sanwo-Olu) didn’t show up; he even said he didn’t want to share a stage with me,” he recalled.

He further explained that the unexpected surge of support for Obi in Lagos turned what was initially a two-horse race into a different political battle.

“If you look at what happened, Peter Obi came first in Lagos, Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) came second, and Atiku came third.

The moment that happened, there was this belief that if we do this, we can take Lagos off the hands of APC. So, we were victims of that political wave.”

Jandor Eyes 2027 Governorship Race

Despite his disappointment, Jandor remains hopeful about his political future, stating that it wasn’t yet God’s time for him to become governor.

His political journey began in the APC, where he led the Lagos4Lagos Movement before defecting to the PDP in 2022. However, he recently left the PDP, citing internal sabotage.

“We waited for two years for the party at the national level to take action against those involved in anti-party activities, but instead of enforcing sanctions, the same person was appointed Vice Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee,” he lamented.

Looking ahead, Jandor revealed that he is open to joining another political party to pursue his 2027 governorship ambition.

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