Godfathers Thrive Because People Are Hungry — Jandor Demands Systemic Shake-Up

Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor and the 2023 Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has attributed the dominance of political godfathers in Nigeria to widespread poverty.

Speaking on Channels Television, Jandor argued that true internal democracy within political parties remains elusive due to the overwhelming influence exerted by godfathers, especially at the grassroots level.

He explained that local power structures, sustained by economic hardship, allow a handful of influential figures to control political direction and decisions.

“In a typical local government scenario,” he said, “you often find a single leader who essentially controls everything. Once you have that person’s support, it’s as though you have the whole structure on your side.”

According to him, poverty makes it easy for these power brokers to maintain control. “When people are struggling, even the smallest handout can sway them. They flock to whoever is seen spending money, regardless of principles.”

Jandor stressed that such dynamics make internal party democracy “almost impossible” unless sweeping electoral reforms are implemented to stop individuals from monopolizing delegates or dominating grassroots politics.

He concluded that this challenge is not unique to any one party, but is widespread across Nigeria’s political landscape, with larger parties only amplifying its visibility.