Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran, known as Jandor, reaffirmed his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday during a meeting in support of Tinubu's re-election and his own aspiration to be the APC's 2027 Lagos governorship candidate. Speaking at the event, Jandor stated he would accept any decision Tinubu makes regarding the governorship race, recalling that Tinubu's Chief of Staff invited him back to the APC before the 2023 election. He emphasized that the Lagos APC would conduct direct primaries, as confirmed by party chairman Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi. Jandor urged supporters to remain united and avoid speculation about an "anointed" candidate, saying the focus should be on securing votes across Lagos, the South-West, and the South. He stressed the importance of youth mobilization, calling the 2027 victory a non-negotiable goal. Grassroots consultation, he added, must begin at the ward and zone levels to build candidate support. APC chieftain Alhaji Hakeem Amode praised Tinubu's economic reforms, citing improved fiscal allocations to states and the introduction of student loans. He listed over 440 road projects and moves toward local government autonomy as achievements. Chief Ola Apena described Jandor as a unifying figure who bridges generational divides, noting his roots in Lagos West and Badagry Division, which has never produced a governor.
Jandor's public submission to President Tinubu's authority reveals more than loyalty—it underscores the continued centrality of presidential patronage in shaping Lagos politics, with aspirants framing ambition as deference. By anchoring his candidacy to Tinubu's directive and invoking the Jagaban label, Jandor is not just courting favour but reinforcing a political culture where personal allegiance often precedes institutional process.
The emphasis on direct primaries and grassroots consultation rings with irony, given that such mechanisms have historically been overshadowed by top-down influence in the APC. Jandor's reminder that "whatever he says is what we will do" exposes the tension between party democracy and the reality of executive dominance, especially with Tinubu's re-election campaign already shaping state-level calculations.
For Lagos voters, particularly the youth Jandor claims to represent, this performance offers little clarity on policy or vision—only a promise of alignment with Abuja. The real test will be whether a candidate who stakes his appeal on loyalty can simultaneously sell competence and renewal to a electorate demanding both.
This is not an outlier but part of a recurring pattern: Nigerian politics, especially within the APC, continues to reward proximity to power over programmatic positioning. Jandor's approach mirrors that of other aspirants who wrap ambition in obedience, revealing how deeply the logic of patronage shapes political futures.
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