The governorship candidate of the Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr AbdulAzeez Olajide Adediran popularly called Jandor, on Tuesday formally unveiled veteran actress, Funke Akindele, as his running mate for next year’s general election.
Speaking at the occasion, which took place at the Ikorodu residence of the leader of his group (Lagos4Lagos), late Adenrele Ogunsanya, and attended by party chieftains and a large crowd of party faithful, including Wahab Owokoniran, Chief Taiwo Kuye, former member South-West Caretaker Committee, Chief (Mrs) Aduke Maina, member of Board of Trustees (BoT), state chairman of the party, Dr Philip Aivoji, among others, Adediran said his choice of a running mate was a departure from the norm.
According to him, it was born out of a clear understanding of the task ahead and the need to work with a co-visionary who had a passion for the emancipation of the good people of Lagos.
The PDP standard bearer described Akindele as an epitome of selfless service, a philanthropist and an amazon who would firmly stand with him as they queued on the side of the people, as, according to him, the journey to Governor’s Lodge, Alausa, Ikeja demanded focus, resilience and tenacity.
“My running mate is someone who is large-hearted and has a rich history of service and advocacy, a successful entrepreneur who has grown her business from zero to the success it is today, a practitioner and an employer of labour in the entertainment industry, an amazing talent whose creative works have won awards over and over again.
“An Ikorodu-born diva who has through several of her projects focused on and continues to champion the need to positively transform our ghettos and their inhabitants.
“I am proud to present Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele as my running mate. Our candidacy is a clearer departure from the norm and together, we will serve and offer you a breath of fresh air,” he said.
Adediran, while reflecting on his own emergence as the flag bearer of PDP, said he singlehandedly moved a multitude of followers of the Lagos4Lagos Movement from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to his new party, noting that it was the groundswell also saw his emergence as the party’s flagbearer and gubernatorial candidate for Lagos, having participated in the international democracy that exists within the party.
“The groundswell also saw my emergence as the party’s flagbearer and gubernatorial candidate for Lagos, having participated in the international democracy that exists within the party.
This was just as he reiterated his commitment to positively impact on the living standard of Lagosians by ensuring that development was not concentrated in just a few isolated locations but spread across that state in order that Lagos can work for all of her residents if elected into office come 2023.
“From the outset of this journey seven years ago, I have pledged my total commitment to the crusade of transforming the state of Lagos from her touted wealthy status on paper to that in which the residents’ standard of living is at par with the state’s wealth and resources to a state where development is not concentrated in just a few isolated locations but to that which leaves no one in doubt across the state that our Lagos can work for all of her residents.
“Some of these things don’t require rocket science to fix, what they require is an emotionally intelligent, listening and sensitive government that will not need a second level of approval to respond promptly to the needs of the people, a governor that is not tied to the apron string of an individual and a servant leader who will bend backwards to accommodate the genuine interest of the people,” he said.
Funke Akindele in her response, said she used to think that politics was a dirty game and practised by corrupt people but quickly noted that it would be difficult to correct the rotten system if people should run away from politics.
The deputy governorship candidate commended late Princess Adeniran-Ogunsanya, who she said, while alive, was tired of the poor state of things and the deplorable condition of infrastructure in Lagos State, declaring that she was standing in for her at the occasion.
“I must commend our late mother, Princess Adenrele Adeniran-Ogunsanya who was tired of the poor state of things, the deplorable condition of infrastructure in Lagos State, so I am standing in for her today.
“I have a business that I have managed for 14 years and when Jandor approached me, I took the decision to abandon the business and join him because I have a passion to help the youths,” she said.
“Getting the call from Jandor was a clarion call and what I have been doing in a small scale, I want to replicate on a large scale. I get worried about the state of things in Lagos State, the bad roads, poor infrastructure, and dilapidated state of our health care system, so when this call came, I knew that the time has come for me to take up the responsibility even though it is a new terrain,” she added.
Speaking further, she described the PDP governorship candidate, Adediran as a very positive person and equally very passionate about the young people, saying he was ready to bring positive changes to Lagos State.
Akindele said she had seen him sacrifice so much for over seven years for the project, to be able to bring positive change to the Lagos people, adding: “I have to also make my own sacrifice so that we can join hands to give Lagosians opportunity of a better life.”
“I am a mother. I am passionate about the youths. I am passionate about women.
“We have talents in this country. We are very hard-working people, so I would like to see us export some of the things that we have. We have great talents that we can export,” she said.
Others in attendance were Nicholas Akowala; Lagos Central Senatorial candidate, Wale Gomez; Lagos West Senatorial candidate, Otunba Segun Adewale popularly called Areoland; Baba Bisi, Odunsi, Ganiyu Adekunle, Princess Sadiat Fafowora; candidate of the party for House of Representatives in Eti-Osa Constituency, Bankole Wellington and his counterpart in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Bartholomew Chima, also called Omobarca and a host of other candidates.
