The Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos State, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, has said that the PDP has become too toxic as a result of recurrent internal disputes.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Jandor, who left the PDP on Monday, cited a leadership crisis at the party’s national headquarters as a significant cause for his departure.
Umar Damagum, the acting National Chairman, has come under fire from party members, many of whom blame him for the PDP’s deteriorating fortunes following the departure of Iyorchia Ayu.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye are both vying for the position of National Secretary, exacerbating the crisis.
Tensions between the Board of Trustees, National Working Committee, and National Executive Committee have further divided the party, especially in the South-South, where a Zonal Congress was convened on February 22 without the governors’ agreement.
Jandor called the instability at both the national and state levels extremely harmful to the PDP’s public image.
“Who goes around posting that they are a member of PDP these days? With what is happening at both the national and state levels, the optics are bad. Even the party itself has given up,” he said.
“A political party is made up of people who come together to build it. But if toxicity persists within the system, the same problems will remain. Today, those who once worked against the PDP are the ones leading it. So where do we start from?”
He further opined that with congresses scheduled for 2025 and primary elections in 2026, the PDP will likely remain under the control of the same individuals, making any real change impossible.
“If you still have the same set of people in charge, you can’t expect different results,” he added.
Following his resignation from the party, Jandor said he had not yet decided on his next political move.
“We have 18 political parties in Nigeria, so there are 17 other options. But we will consult and decide. There are also coalitions forming, with people coming together to explore new possibilities,” he said.
He stressed that, regardless of where he ends up, he will respect the leadership and rules of any new party he joins.
“This is the path we have chosen, and we are not deviating. Only God determines the future,” he said.
