The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos Olajide Adediran aka Jandor has knocked the All Progressives Congress, Lagos State chapter for criticising his visit to a widow Dorothy and her son Osinachi Ndukwe whose mini-bus was recently auctioned by the state for breaking traffic law.
Jandor and his running mate Funke Akindele visited the family on Saturday. Jandor told them that although he was not encouraging disregard for the state’s laws, he believes a penalty should not take away people’s means of livelihood.
But the APC in a statement on Sunday by its spokesman Seye Oladejo said the PDP candidates “have graduated from playing politics with human lives to blatantly encouraging the break down of law and order in our dear state.”
In a counter statement, spokesman for the JANDOR4Governor Campaign Organisation, Gbenga Ogunleye, said the APC was “demonising the act of succour being given to the victims of their anti-people policies.”
The statement said, “The clueless and insensitive state government on Thursday 15th September, 2022 auctioned 134 vehicles impounded for traffic offences. A video report of the exercise showing some of the victims profusely begging for help drew the attention of well-meaning Lagosians, especially because of the perceived case of double jeopardy.
“The point to note is that as responsible law-abiding citizens of Lagos State, neither JANDOR nor his running mate will ever condone the breaking of the state’s laws for any reason and this point was made very clear as he reprimanded the victims for breaking the law. However, we must realize that laws are made for the people and not people for the law, therefore all laws must bear a human face and seek to correct rather than to destroy the very citizens that they were made for.
“In this instance, the penalty for breaking the law in question amounted to killing an ant with a sledge hammer and will potentially create more problems than it was meant to solve. One may wonder why a state government that is supposed to cater for the welfare of the people is so intent on taking away the means of livelihood of the same people when other measures such as hefty fines could have served as a deterrent to potential offenders?”
The statement noted that Jandor’s gesture was a true reflection of the Yoruba saying that if you use the right hand to beat a child, you have to use the left hand to cuddle him.
“Jandor has come to give life and hope to Lagosians more abundantly and would never toe the path of the APC that has only come to emasculate, oppress and destroy the people they are meant to protect and empower,” it added.
