The Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, on Wednesday said the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the coming election, Olajide Adediran, known better as Jandor, would learn the true political lesson after the election.
He described the PDP governorship candidate as an “apprentice candidate and politician”, who was contesting to learn and test the water of politics.
Akosile, who was reacting to comments by Adediran that he would defeat Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his “godfathers” during next year’s election, maintained that politicians are allowed to delve into “wishful thinking”.
Recall that Adediran had when he appeared on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, recently, boasted that he would defeat Sanwo-Olu and his ‘godfathers’ during next year’s election.
The PDP governorship candidate said this while reacting to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s endorsement of Sanwo-Olu’s second term bid. Wike is a chieftain of his party, the PDP.
While describing Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement by Wike as “inconsequential”, Jandor noted that despite the Rivers governor’s opposition against his emergence as PDP candidate during the Lagos PDP governorship primary, he won the ticket.
He said, “Wike’s unrepentant and irreversible way of life. Wike is Wike, everybody knows. And where you have no expectations, there will be no disappointment. That, I will consider inconsequential. But what worries me is the desperation of this government, doing everything to garner support that is not there.
“Somebody (Wike) who with all his might within the PDP, who did not support me during the primary, could stop me then. How will he decide if I will govern Lagos or not; that’s for Lagosians to decide.
“I will defeat Sanwo-Olu and everybody supporting him — home and abroad — all his godfathers put together.”
But reacting to the statements during an interview with our correspondent, Akosile described the comment as “wishful thinking”.
According to him, the Lagos PDP governorship candidate is in “training school” and will graduate after next year’s election.
“Simply put, it (Jandor’s comment) is wishful thinking as far as I am concerned and that statement is an insult on Lagos electorates. Don’t forget he is a politician, but an apprentice candidate and politician.
“He will understand the game and learn better after the 2023 elections. He (Jandor) is in (political) training school and I wouldn’t want to join issues with him because I understand he is still learning the ropes.
“He is an apprentice candidate and when he is mature we can talk extensively about his chances of defeating Sanwo-Olu. But I believe he will learn during next year’s elections and graduate and if not, he will have to wait till the next election cycle in 2027,” Sanwo-Olu’s aide said.
Meanwhile, Adediran’s Media aide, Gbenga Ogunleye, who reacted to Akosile, said said Lagosians would decide if the PDP governorship candidate was indeed an ‘apprentice’.
He said Akosile’s comment was not surprising judging from the fact that was doing what he was being paid to do. He noted that contrary to Akosile’s position, Adediran had begun his tour of Lagos state and he was being received warmly across the wards and local governments.
