Ayu, Makinde, five other governors receive defecting Lagos APC leaders into PDP

THE national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu; Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde; former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and five other governors on the platform of the party, on Friday, received the convener of the Lagos4Lagos Movement and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran, aka JANDOR, into the PDP fold. 

The governors in attendance were the host governor, Makinde; Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike; Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel; Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Bayelsa State governor, Senator Duoye Diri. 

The event, which had in attendance members of the National Working Committee of the PDP, including the Deputy National Chairman, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyawu, as well as former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George; former governors Peter Obi and Olusegun Mimiko, was held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. 

A statement by Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, indicated that the governor, while addressing select journalists shortly after the event, said the event signalled the beginning of a new dawn for the PDP in Lagos State. 

According to the governor, the South-West PDP is now ready to lead the charge to rescue the zone and the country from the hands of the APC, which promised too much but did so little to justify the trust Nigerians had in it. 

Makinde said: “Today, I joined my brother-governors in the PDP and other well-meaning members of our great party to welcome Mr Jide Adediran of the Lagos4Lagos Movement to the PDP. 

“Indeed, it is the dawn of a new era and our great party has shown through many ways that it is ready to rescue the South West and Nigeria from the bad governance of the APC. The South West, as I have always said, is strategic to Nigeria’s politics and we will definitely lead the charge to rescue Nigeria from the front.” 

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Earlier, the national chairman of the PDP, Ayu, had maintained that the party would restore Nigeria’s glory come 2023 and that Lagos would also be rescued from the throes of bad governance. 

According to Ayu, the APC deceived Lagosians and Nigerians with the promise of change but residents of the state and country have not been happy because they have not been enjoying the change. 

Ayu said: “PDP loves Lagos. We love Nigerians. We want Lagos to return to Lagosians and we want Nigeria to belong to Nigerians. 

“Today, I know you are not happy. You are not happy that you gave your lives to people who deceived you about change. Are you enjoying the change now? How much is a bag of rice today? 

“Today, we are happy to join Lagosians to welcome Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran to the PDP so that together, we can rescue Lagos State and rescue Nigeria from the throes of economic hardship.” 

Governor Ikpeazu, who spoke on behalf of the PDP Governors’ Forum chairman, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Governor Wike of Rivers State, welcomed Adediran and his team to the PDP. 

Ikpeazu maintained that Adediran had joined a bus that would not stop until it gets to Aso Rock in 2023, charging him to join hands with existing members of the PDP in Lagos State to rescue the state and Nigeria. 

In his response shortly after being presented with the PDP membership card by the chairman of the party in Ojoo Local Government and the chairman of the Lagos State PDP Caretaker Committee, Julius Akinsola, Adediran said he and his followers were joining the PDP to add value to the party. 

Adediran, who stated that he drew inspiration from Governor Makinde, who took on a task that seemed unachievable and came out victorious in the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State, noted that he and his followers would put their numerical strength to test in Lagos.