LAGOS — Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), Lead Visioner of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, has advised former President Goodluck Jonathan not to heed calls to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that doing so would be a political misstep.
Adediran, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State during the 2023 elections, gave the advice on Sunday in Lagos during an interview with newsmen.
He said Jonathan would be taking an unnecessary risk by re-entering the presidential race, predicting that President Bola Tinubu would easily defeat him at the polls.
According to Jandor, those urging Jonathan to challenge Tinubu are merely deceiving him.
He described President Tinubu as “a master in the game of politics,” who, in his view, cannot be matched by Jonathan or any other aspirant in 2027.
“I disagree with those calling on Jonathan to re-contest, claiming he is the only person who can challenge Tinubu because of his popularity and experience. It was this same man (Tinubu) who defeated him (Jonathan) from outside the presidency. They are not in the same class,” Adediran said.
“If you accidentally found yourself in Aso Villa as President, it is different from someone who fought against all odds to get there. Such a man cannot be compared with someone who just woke up one morning and found himself on the presidential seat,” he added.
Adediran said it would be a waste of time for Jonathan to attempt to unseat Tinubu in 2027, advising him to listen to his wife, Patience Jonathan, who had reportedly cautioned him against contesting again.
He said Tinubu’s personality, popularity, and political experience were “intimidating,” and that Jonathan should avoid “a humiliating defeat.”
According to Jandor, President Tinubu has demonstrated leadership and courage in steering the nation’s economy, and deserves another term.
Applauding Tinubu’s economic reforms, he said they were beginning to yield results across all levels of government.
“We are not saying all is well, but at least the President has shown courage by taking our common patrimony from the pockets of a few in the name of fuel subsidy and returning it to the country, states, and local governments,” he said.
“Now, allocations have tripled. States and local governments have more funds to impact lives. This has put an end to what we saw during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s time when states would attend FAAC meetings and return with zero allocation.”
He also commended Tinubu for stabilising the foreign exchange market and curbing corruption in forex dealings.
“That is no longer the issue now. We can’t have overnight billionaires through forex racketeering. This man has put a stop to that,” he said.
Adediran acknowledged that the reforms had caused some hardships but urged state and local governments to use their increased allocations to cushion the effects at the grassroots.
“If states and local governments do what they are supposed to do with these resources, it will ease the impact of the reforms. At the macro level, the economy has turned a corner, but it will take some time for the benefits to trickle down,” he said.
He also called on the Nigerian Armed Forces to continue supporting the President in addressing the nation’s security challenges.
