The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has taken a swipe at the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Abdulazeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor.
The former governor of Lagos said Jandor lacked the experience to govern Lagos, according to a video posted on Twitter by the state’s chief press secretary, Gboyega Akosile, on Thursday.
The PDP candidate, who worked with the state Broadcasting Service as a Reportorial and Editorial Executive, however, said handling
a camera was not his job description.
Fashola spoke during the formal launch of ‘10,000 foot soldiers’ for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“I did that job for eight years. And part of what helped me was that I was chief of staff to a governor,” Fashola said.
“I saw it up-close but even then, that was not enough. So just following a governor, being a cameraman, watching me for eight years, you (Jandor) think you will now be a governor? You are not ready.
“Come to our leadership school, you are not yet ready. And that is why you can see, there are adverts, they are focusing on 51 billion that Lagos is generating but they don’t see the emigrant population that is coming (from) everywhere,” Fashola added.
Reacting on Thursday, Jandor said the APC was under pressure, saying he wondered “what it is with Fashola and cameras lately.”
Jandor said this is the season of calumnies “and the APC are expectedly under pressure to sell their unenviable records to the now very discerning electorates of Lagos.”
“Records must be kept straight especially for varying audiences who may be misled by my very dear boss and former Governor of Lagos. While I insist that there is absolutely nothing untoward about being a cameraman, and I must apologise to hordes of cameramen out there who have made a mark for themselves in their craft and may feel smeared by my respected boss’s remark, I was never a cameraman.
“As a matter of fact, I was absorbed into the service of government of Lagos State Broadcasting Service as a Reportorial and Editorial Executive, and camera handling was certainly not the professional service I rendered to Fashola, and the Lagos state government under his watch. I really don’t know what it is with my Oga (boss) and cameras lately…this is reminding me of that famous missing camera he magically found at Lekki toll gate, the scene of the #EndSARS massacre,” Jandor said in a statement.
Jandor however said he still respected Fashola as his former boss and that nothing would change that fact.
“We will break Lagos free and my boss, Fashola, will be proud of our achievements,” he added.
Fashola during the programme also encouraged members of the APC to canvas massively for the party, telling them to vote for the party.
Speaking, Governor Sanwo-Olu said nobody had the credential like Tinubu to become president, noting that Lagos would deliver the largest vote for the APC.
“I want to thank our Minister and all those who have worked with him, especially his 10,000 foot soldiers. The five million votes will come out. Tinubu is the best for Nigeria. Nobody has a credential like Tinubu to become President, that is why we truly believe in him. We will deliver the largest number for our Presidential candidate,” he said. (Punch)
