By Hon. Olalekan Abdulmojeed Anjolaiya
The recent resignation of Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside his supporters across the 20 local governments and 37 local council areas in Lagos State is not just another political exit — it is a loud and troubling signal that exposes the deep rot within the party, both at the state and national levels.
Jandor, the party’s 2023 gubernatorial flag bearer, did not mince words when he cited the betrayal and sabotage he suffered from within the PDP, particularly from the state leadership and national stakeholders. According to him, on the eve of the election, the Lagos PDP chairman released a statement announcing a false alliance that portrayed Jandor as having stepped down — a move designed to weaken his chances at the polls. This was no rumor or media speculation; it was a cold and calculated act of internal betrayal.
This level of internal sabotage and the glee with which some party members celebrated his resignation is disheartening. In any functional opposition party, leaders would have rallied to galvanize every available force against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Instead, Lagos PDP has become a theatre of internal strife, driven by self-interest, transactional politics, and the corrupt monetization of electioneering processes. The core objective — rescuing Lagos from decades of political capture — has been sacrificed on the altar of personal gain.
The State of Lagos PDP: A Party on Life Support
To describe Lagos PDP today as being in a state of coma would not be an exaggeration. The party is gasping for survival, in dire need of urgent and revolutionary internal reform. Leadership, which should be the anchor in times of crisis, has become rudderless and uninspiring. The state party hierarchy seems more invested in maintaining the status quo, waiting passively for the next election cycle when they will once again engage in the familiar theatrics of political horse trading, gerrymandering, and the shameless betrayal of fellow party members for fleeting personal benefits.
This unfortunate culture is not new, but the departure of a frontline figure like Jandor highlights just how toxic and unsustainable it has become. For a party that should be positioning itself as the credible alternative in Lagos, this is nothing short of self-destruction.
National PDP: A Shadow of Its Former Self
At the national level, the situation is no less dire. The PDP has effectively been hijacked, operating more like an appendage of the ruling APC than a genuine opposition platform. The so-called plan to present a southern presidential candidate in 2027 is not driven by any strategic desire to win power — rather, it is a calculated ploy to further divide the opposition and give the ruling party an easier path to victory. Shockingly, many PDP leaders are aware of this scheme, yet they embrace it because of the financial inducements and short-term gains tied to the election cycle.
This underscores a bitter truth: PDP is no longer a party primarily interested in winning elections or offering Nigerians a credible alternative government. Instead, it has become a trading post for political merchants whose only interest is personal enrichment, even if it means perpetuating Nigeria’s current state of hopelessness.
The Way Forward
For many of us who once believed in the party’s promise, this reality is heartbreaking. It leaves little choice but to return to our private businesses and drastically reduce our engagement with partisan politics — at least until a new political order emerges, one driven by true service, ideological clarity, and the desire to genuinely rescue Nigeria.
The resignation of Jandor should not be seen as a loss of an individual, but as a reflection of a systemic failure that threatens the very survival of opposition politics in Lagos and beyond. The question now is: Will the PDP summon the courage to cleanse itself, or will it continue on this self-destructive path until it becomes completely irrelevant?
Only time will tell.
Hon. Olalekan Abdulmojeed Anjolaiya a former aspirant for Lagos state house of Assembly, writes from Lagos
