Abdulazeez “Jandor” Adediran, the founder of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, has urged former President Goodluck Jonathan not to heed calls to contest for the presidency in 2027.
Mr Adediran, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, gave this advice in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Lagos.
He believes Mr Jonathan would be taking a political risk by contesting and predicts that he would be reduced to a minnow by President Bola Tinubu at the polls.
Mr Adediran urged Mr Jonathan to stay in retirement, saying those telling him to run against Mr Tinubu were deceiving him.
“I disagree with people calling on Jonathan to re-contest; people are saying Jonathan is the only person who can challenge Tinubu, citing his popularity and experience.
“It was this same man (Tinubu) who defeated him (Jonathan) from the outside. So, they are not the same,” Mr Adediran said.
He said Mr Tinubu is ”a master in the game of politics,” who, according to him, cannot be defeated by Mr Jonathan or any other figure in 2027.
“If you accidentally found yourself at the Aso Villa as president, it is different from somebody who gave his all to get there.
“It is different from somebody who, against all odds, got there. They did all sorts for him not to get there, and he got there.
“Such a man cannot be put side by side with somebody who just slept and woke up and found himself in the seat of the president,” the politician said.
According to him, it would amount to a waste of time for Mr Jonathan to attempt to dislodge Mr Tinubu in 2027.
Mr Adediran urged Mr Jonathan to listen to his wife, Patience, who had also advised him not to contest the 2027 presidency.
He said Mr Tinubu’s personality, popularity, and experience were ”intimidating,” and that Mr Jonathan should not risk ”a humiliating defeat” in 2027.
Applauding Mr Tinubu for his economic reforms, Mr Adediran called for continued support for the president.
“We are not saying all is well, but at least the president has shown the courage to take our common patrimony from the pocket of the few in the name of fuel subsidy and return it to the country, state, and local government,” he said.
Acknowledging reforms had brought some inconveniences, Mr Adediran challenged state and local governments to deploy the huge allocation to alleviate the suffering of people at the grassroots.
(NAN)