By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

Sixty-nine candidates of the PDP in Lagos State vying for various electives positions in the 2023 general elections on Sunday evening, held a closed-door meeting at the Sheraton Hotels in Ikeja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, which started at about 8.00 p.m. had in attendance, the PDP Governorship Candidate in the state, Dr. Olajide Adediran, Deputy Governorship Candidate, Ms Funke Akindele, the three Senatorial candidates, 24 House of Representatives candidates, 40 House of Assembly candidates and party leaders.

Speaking with newsmen before entering the closed-door meeting, Adediran, popularly called ‘Jandor’ said the meeting was the second after the party’s primaries and meant to map out strategies to actualise the dream of winning the 2023 elections.

“Today, we have come together here to tell the whole world that PDP in Lagos state is ready to take over power come 2023.

“This is the second of this meeting where all candidates of the party will be coming together, strategising and mapping out methods by which we are going to take over the mantle of leadership of the state.

“We are not just a party that you used to know. This is new Lagos PDP, a rebranded one poised for winning. We have 69 of us that are going to be on the ballot for both the national and the state elections.”

Adediran, the Convener of Lagos4Lagos Movement, said the party and all its candidates were mindful of the yearnings of the people of Lagos state and had taken time to study their requests.

According to him, out of the 69 candidates in the state, 23 per cent are below the age of 40, 41 per cent below the age of 50, while only 36 are above the age of 50.

Adediran said the PDP was sensitive enough about gender and religious balance as well as youth inclusion.

He said the party was doing everything humanly possible to ensure that all candidates being put forward to serve the people of the state won.

“If we win the election, we will decentralise development to the hinterlands and not concentrating development in the city centre.

“For us, the 69 of us here, we have decided to work together and go to the polls with a single purpose of making the wealth of Lagos state work for its people. The 69 of us have decided to say enough is enough.

“We are not joking, we know what Lagos residents want and we will do everything humanly possible to ensure victory.”

He said the party was done protesting, and lamenting, stressing that they intended to have their way in 2023.

Also speaking, Mr Segun Adewale, the Lagos West Senatorial Candidate of PDP said that PDP had put up momentum to claim victory in the state in the 2023 elections.

Adewale, a former Lagos PDP Chairman who emphasised the need for unity within PDP to fight the ruling APC, urged members defecting to Labour Party not to give room for another party to win.

The Director of Strategy and Communications of the PDP governorship candidate, Mr Seun Soyinka, said the party needed to put its house in order, put all hands on the deck with fresh energy to win.

“We ought to put all our house in order. Without rallying the truce we are not going to get anywhere. We are going to win.

“Please, let the bickering stop, let us forge ahead as a family. We are almost touching what is ahead of us,” Soyinka said. (NAN)

•PHOTO: L-R Mr Wale Gomez, Lagos Central PDP Candidate, Mr Segun Adewale, Lagos West PDP Candidate, Dr Olajide Adediran, Lagos PDP Governorship Candidate, Ms Funke Akindele, Deputy Governorship Candidates at before meeting the closed door meeting in Lagos

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