A Lagos politician, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has withdrawn from the 2027 Lagos State governorship race under the All Progressives Congress (APC), barely 24 hours after purchasing the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms.
Jandor announced his withdrawal in a statement shared via his Facebook page on Thursday, citing the endorsement of the state’s Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, by party leaders, including President Bola Tinubu.
“Following the endorsement of Dr. Kadiri Hamzat by our Leader, the President of Nigeria, and leaders of our party in Lagos, and in recognition of the prevailing realities within the political landscape of our great party, I have decided to withdraw from the 2027 Lagos State gubernatorial race,” he said.
The abrupt decision underscores the entrenched influence of party hierarchy in determining candidacies within the Lagos APC, where internal consensus often overrides open contestation.
Jandor, who previously contested the 2023 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the APC, insisted his withdrawal should not be misconstrued as weakness.
“This decision is not borne out of weakness or a lack of capacity, but out of strength, discipline, and a deep respect for party cohesion and unity,” he added.
He reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC and pledged to support the party’s direction in Lagos, urging his supporters to remain united ahead of the 2027 polls.
The former governorship aspirant also expressed appreciation to members of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, describing the group as a vehicle for equity, inclusion, and improved governance in the state.
The development comes amid intensifying political realignments within the APC as the race to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu gathers momentum.
Read also:
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- APC Suffers setback as Jandor, “Lagos4Lagos” Team Join PDP in Lagos
- Lagos 2027: Race for APC’s Governorship ticket heats up
Sources within the party indicate that the endorsement of Hamzat was largely coordinated through the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), a powerful bloc that plays a decisive role in shaping leadership succession in Lagos politics.
The endorsement was reportedly cemented during a recent visit by Lagos APC leaders to President Tinubu in Abuja, where Hamzat was presented as the consensus candidate of the state’s political establishment.
With Jandor’s withdrawal, the path appears increasingly clear for Hamzat, further reinforcing concerns among observers about the lack of internal democracy within Nigeria’s ruling party structures.
