I wasn’t a cameraman, Fashola under pressure, Jandor fires minister

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Abdulazeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has responded to a comment by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, referring to him as a cameraman.

Jandor, in a tweet on Thursday, described the statement by the former Lagos State governor as baseless, and a confirmation that the election period is a “season of calumnies.”

The PDP standard bearer revealed he was never a cameraman while working at the Lagos State Broadcasting Service.

The former employee of the broadcasting service who worked as a Reportorial and Editorial Executive said the handling of the camera was never part of the professional services he rendered to the former governor.

“As a matter of fact, I was absorbed into the service of the government of Lagos State Broadcasting Service as a reportorial and editorial executive, and camera handling was certainly not the professional services I rendered to BRF, and the Lagos State government under his watch,” he said.

The PUNCH, quoting a video posted on Twitter by the state’s chief press secretary, Gboyega Akosile, on Thursday, reported that Fashola described Jandor as a candidate who lacks (lacked) the experience to govern Lagos.

“I did that job for eight years. And part of what helped me was that I was chief of staff to a governor.

“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 said.

He said the ruling party is currently under pressure to convince residents of the state of their recorded success.

Jandor said Fashola’s statement might come as a shock to those who knew he had always spoken well of the minister and his achievements in Lagos, despite being the candidate of the main opposition party in the state.

“APC are expectedly under pressure to sell their unenviable records to the now very discerning electorates of Lagos. There is clearly a brief to all the beneficiaries of the status quo to publicly show where their support lies,” he said.

The PDP governorship candidate questioned Fashola for changing his words at this period after describing him as someone with a “very inspiring life story…turned into a ladder for educational success, entrepreneurial acumen and visionary leadership aspirations” in June 2020, during his condolence message on the loss of his mother.

He, however, reiterated that Fashola remains his boss, deserves his respect and nothing will change that.

“Personally, I can’t wait to show the residents of Lagos that a lot more can be achieved way beyond what their celebrated over N50b revenue is currently doing, under the watch of a truly independent Governor that has no ties to a godfather’s apron strings.

“We will break Lagos free and my Boss, BRF will be proud of our achievements,” he added.

(Punch)