Jandor eyes Lagos governorship again, predicts Tinubu’s 2027 Victory

Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, better known as Jandor, says President Bola Tinubu will face no serious challenge in the 2027 presidential election, while also confirming that he will once again contest the governorship of Lagos State.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the former Lagos PDP governorship candidate, who recently returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), said Tinubu’s political influence had grown stronger since 2023, making another upset unlikely.

“In 2023, Jandor and his Lagos for Lagos movement were outside, but now we are back inside. So, it won’t be the same thing you witnessed in 2023,” he said. According to him, the president’s hold on politics has gone beyond Lagos. “2027, not only in Lagos but in the entire country, is going to be a walkover for the man whose courage has given us a lot in this country today,” Jandor added.

Jandor had left the APC in 2022 to run under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos. He came third in the March 2023 governorship election behind incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC and Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. But in March this year, he made a surprise return to the ruling APC, saying the party was better positioned to win elections regardless of the candidate. His defection ended months of speculation about his next political move after his defeat in 2023.

Now firmly back in the APC fold, Jandor has wasted no time in declaring his interest in contesting the 2027 Lagos governorship election. “What you heard yesterday is for us once again to express our can-do ability and give another shot to the same seat that we went for during the last electioneering process,” he said. “There is no vacancy in Aso Rock till 2031. If not, maybe the next thing would have been me running for president. For now, the focus is on Lagos, and I have so declared my intention to run again.”

Jandor’s declaration is already setting the stage for what may become another heated Lagos governorship contest. His renewed loyalty to the APC also puts him in a complex position, competing for the ticket in a party dominated by the political machinery of President Tinubu. But Jandor insists he is not worried. Instead, he has openly welcomed the idea of competing against Tinubu’s son, Seyi, should the younger Tinubu enter the race for governor. “He is eminently qualified to run,” Jandor said. “And if the party gives him the ticket, I will give him my full support.”

Read also: 2027: Former PDP guber candidate, Jandor declares Lagos governorship ambition under APC 

For political watchers, Jandor’s confidence about Tinubu’s re-election chances in 2027 is not just about loyalty but also strategy. By aligning himself closely with the president, he positions himself as a loyal APC member who can be trusted with the party’s ticket in Lagos. Tinubu, who lost Lagos to Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the presidential election last year, is widely expected to strengthen his political base ahead of 2027. Jandor seems certain that history will not repeat itself. “In 2023, the opposition had unusual strength. But now, things are different. The president has consolidated, and I believe it will be a landslide in 2027,” Jandor declared.

Jandor’s first gubernatorial run was marked by high expectations. Backed by the “Lagos for Lagos” movement, he promised to break the APC’s dominance in the state. But his inability to galvanise enough votes left him far behind Sanwo-Olu and Rhodes-Vivour. After the elections, analysts said his defection from APC to PDP may have weakened his grassroots ties, while the Labour Party’s rise in Lagos further squeezed his chances. Now, by returning to APC, Jandor is effectively betting on the ruling party’s structure to give him a second shot.

Even though the 2027 elections are still nearly two years away, the battle for the APC’s Lagos governorship ticket promises to be intense. Party insiders say Jandor’s chances will depend not just on his popularity but also on how much trust he can rebuild with Tinubu’s loyalists, who once viewed him as a defector. But Jandor appears prepared for the long haul. “We are keeping our eyes on the ball, doing the needful, and galvanising support for the party across the state,” he said. Political analysts believe his willingness to back whoever emerges as the APC’s candidate could help him avoid being sidelined, even if he loses the ticket.

For Jandor, aligning with Tinubu and the APC’s political machinery could either pave the way for his ambition or keep him in the shadow of more powerful figures within the party. Still, he maintains that his focus is clear: “For Jandor, I am running in 2027, and I have so declared.”

With this, Lagos politics looks set for another round of drama—where loyalty, strategy, and the shadow of Tinubu will once again define who sits in the seat of power at Alausa.