Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Construction and Housing, has attacked Abdulazeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor of Lagos State.
According to a video that the state’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, shared on Twitter on Thursday, the former governor of Lagos declared that Jandor lacked the experience to lead Lagos.
However, the PDP candidate, who was a Reportorial and Editorial Executive with the state Broadcasting Service, said that operating a camera was not part of his job duties.
Speaking during the official inauguration of the “110,000-footsoldiers” for Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Fashola said: “I did that job for eight years. And part of what helped me was that I was Chief of staff to a governor.
“I saw it up close but even then, that was not enough. So just following a governor, being a cameraman, watching me for eight years, you (Jandor) think you will now be a governor? You are not ready.
“Come to our leadership school, you are not yet ready. And that is why you can see, there are adverts, they are focusing on 51 billion that Lagos is generating but they don’t see the emigrant population that is coming (from) everywhere.”
In response, Jandor stated on Thursday that the APC was under pressure and questioned “what is with Fashola and cameras lately.
“And the APC are expectedly under pressure to sell their unenviable records to the now very discerning electorates of Lagos.” said Jandor, referring to this season as the “season of calumnies.
“Records must be kept straight especially for varying audiences who may be misled by my very dear boss and former Governor of Lagos. While I insist that there is absolutely nothing untoward about being a cameraman, and I must apologise to hordes of cameramen out there who have made a mark for themselves in their craft and may feel smeared by my respected boss’s remark, I was never a cameraman.
“A was absorbed into the service of the government of Lagos State Broadcasting Service as a Reportorial and Editorial Executive, and camera handling was certainly not the professional service I rendered to Fashola and the Lagos state government under his watch. I don’t know what it is with my Oga (boss) and cameras lately…this is reminding me of that famous missing camera he magically found at Lekki toll gate, the scene of the #EndSARS massacre,” Jandor said in a statement.
Jandor however said he still respected Fashola as his former boss and that nothing would change that fact.
“We will break Lagos free and my boss, Fashola, will be proud of our achievements,” he added.
During the program, Fashola urged APC members to canvass widely for the party and told them to cast their votes for it.
Speaking, Governor Sanwo-Olu claimed that Tinubu was the only person with the qualifications to be president, stressing that Lagos would give the APC the most support.
“I want to thank our Minister and all those who have worked with him, especially his 10,000-foot soldiers. The five million votes will come out. Tinubu is the best for Nigeria. Nobody has a credential like Tinubu to become President, and that is why we truly believe in him. We will deliver the largest number for our Presidential candidate,” he said.
*(Courtesy, Nigerian Tribune, excluding headline)
