Lagos State PDP governorship candidate Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR) left, and movie star-cum politician, Funke Akindele who emerged as JANDOR’s running mate
The war of words between the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) in Lagos State and the camp of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) governorship candidate Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR) appears to have no end going by recent development that trailed the choice of Funke Akindele as the running to the PDP candidate.
A statement signed by Mr Gbenga Ogunleye, Head, Media & Communications, JANDOR ’23 Campaign Organization, and sent to our correspondent stated thus:
“Our attention has been drawn to the statement credited to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Seye Oladejo, describing the choice of Funke Akindele as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy Governorship Candidate in Lagos State as a display of unseriousness on the part of our party.
“Ordinarily, we would not have reacted to the hogwash from the Lagos APC spokesperson; he and his ilks are obviously pleased with the current systemic rot and governance deficit in the Centre of Excellence and would go any ludicrous length to protect their pots of soup. However, the need to set the record straight and properly situate the context in which the PDP arrived at its decision necessitates this response.
“It should be noted that our party recognizes the importance of the 2023 elections in Lagos State and had carefully conducted its internal business with the sole objective of giving the electorate reasons to cheer about. The PDP does not and will not trivialize the forthcoming polls, contrary to the negative portrayal by the ruling party. If the emergence of Funke Akindele had been a non-issue, the APC would certainly not have responded. But since the Lagos PDP has made a very popular decision, the ruling party had become jittery and the attendant excruciating pains and lacerating discomfort of their vuvuzelas are quite understandable.
“For clarity, the choice of Funke Akindele as the running mate of Lagos PDP Governorship Candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR), was well founded on several positive factors. Professional excellence, leadership skills, managerial capacity, gender mainstreaming, youth inclusiveness as well as religious balancing are part of the underlying considerations which, of course, have been widely applauded by millions of Nigerians.
“Beyond the foregoing determinants, Funke Akindele’s pick as deputy governorship candidate also reinforces the narrative that only the PDP can truly give everyone a sense of belonging and provide all citizens with the veritable platform to actualise individual political aspirations. The APC is pretentious and offers no hope for the ordinary Nigerianns. It is glaring that no youth can take up any position or contest for office purely on merit except through crooked anointing by a rapacious godfather.
“Aside being a very successful actress, film director and producer, Funke Akindele is a trained lawyer as well as trained journalist. She is a serial entrepreneur who grew her business from humble background to global relevance. Through her entertainment businesses, she has provided employment opportunities to hundreds of Nigerians. From all indications, Funke Akindele is a breath of fresh air in our body polity, not a chip off the old block of the usual career politicians. She is passionate about the Rescue Lagos Agenda. Importantly, she is youthful and resonates with the young generation which is now increasingly politically active and conscious about governance.
“By criticising the PDP for going “to the make-believe industry to fetch a deputy” and boasting that “Lagosians will certainly not allow governance to be turned to a needless experiment or a sitcom,” the APC has practically insulted numerous hardworking professionals in Nigeria’s entertainment industry and equally rubbished their age-long creative contributions to the nation’s economy. This is the height of insensitivity, and it shows the APC does not have any regard for professionals in the movie, entertainment and allied industries.
“It is no-brainer that the entertainment industry contributes substantially to Nigeria’s GDP. That Nollywood, today, is the second-largest movie industry in the world by volume after Bollywood (in India) cannot be over-emphasised. Through movies, Nigerian artistes have been able to exert influence worldwide and export their Nigerianness – their culture, lifestyle, dressing and accent.
“If the make-believe, nay movie industry, is not important, one then wonders why the APC and its chieftains often run to theatre arts practitioners, musicians and other entertainers for endorsement. At least, in previous elections, the APC has relied heavily on the popularity and acceptability of entertainers not only to gain traction but also to sell their programmes to the electorate. Sadly, most of the programmes they used entertainers to market ended up being poorly executed or not executed at all.
“We concede that governance is a serious business. However, it is not the exclusive preserve of some people as posited by APC. Governance should be participatory and open to all categories of professionals. In advanced countries, movie makers and entertainers have held public offices and performed creditably. Funke Akindele will not be an exception if eventually elected on the joint ticket with Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR) in 2023.
“The APC should wake up and smell the coffee. The time for a new Lagos State is nigh and the ruling party should stop hallucinating. The electorates are already tired of one-chance government which has been accused of misappropriating the commonwealth of the generality of the masses. Our dear Lagos is yet to attain its full potential and only the PDP is well placed to reposition the State for greater heights and offer the residents a breath of fresh air,” the statement concluded.
