Engr. Adedeji Doherty is no doubt a major player in the politics of Lagos. He has been at the forefront and has even aspired to be the governor of Lagos State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP several times.
Doherty has always been a member of PDP since 1998. If longevity is anything to go by in an organization, Doherty is an epitome of what is called “a trusted and consistent party man” having been labouring and supporting PDP and other societal causes in Lagos State and Southwest for about 30 years.
Let’s tell you a little more about this successful Lagos businessman. Engr. Adedeji Doherty was born into the Doherty Dynasty of Popo Aguda in downtown Lagos Island area of Lagos State in the 60s.
After graduating from High School, C.M.S Grammar school Bariga, Lagos, he proceeded to Chicago, Illinois in the United States of America and bagged a degree in Industrial Engineering. Upon returning to Nigeria- after having fulfilled the requirements of the NYSC, he worked briefly with a Multi–National Agro-Allied Trading Company called Cargill Inc, it was the biggest trading company in the world, with their Headquarters based in Minneapolis USA, before setting out on his own. Doherty’s Story would not be complete if his various Entrepreneurial experiences are not captured in this short Biography, Deji Doherty worked in various capacities as Southern , Northern Eastern Purchasing and Logistics Manager over a 3 year period and as such had the rear opportunity to live and get close to the Grassroots citizens in the various villages and Farming areas where he also lived for short periods of time, some of these cities are Iwo, Fiditi, Oyo, Shaki, Akure, Ondo, Nnewi, Abriba, Aba, Umuahia, Onne, Akwa and Port Harcourt, the Northern cities of Biu, Kaduna, Saminaka, Pambegua, Zaria, Jos, Funtua, Katsina and Kano are not new to Deji Doherty, He has always said that these periods in his life was the most interesting, he is of the belief that his association with the farmers and commodity traders of the different ethnic groups got him interested in politics.
Today, Engr. Adedeji Doherty is the chairman of DAIN Group which include Dohagro Industries, 10 Degrees Event Center and other businesses which include Imports and Exports, Commodity Trading, Real Estate and Heavy Industrial Equipment Leasing.
With his thriving businesses, he has engaged women and youths by empowering them with Training and Equipment. Some notable gentlemen who have worked with Doherty in different capacities are Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi the Ooni of Ile Ife and Governor Ayodele Fayose the former Governor of Ekiti State among other notable businessmen and women in the society.
Doherty in his usual proactive and patriotic manner, supplied water to the poor residents of Lagos Island during the water crises a few years back, he also gave relief materials from house to house to the affected merchants during the Oja Oba fire disaster where he also was a victim of the fire disaster, Doherty has also assisted numerous humanitarian and philanthropic NGOs, especially, The INEI Widows Association, The Down Syndrome Association , The Spinal Cord Association and the good people of Ilaje and the riverine areas of Lagos State to say a few.
As an unwavering member of PDP since 1998, Engr. Adedeji Doherty is mostly popular among Women and Youths for his grassroots activities – hence the numerous awards he has garnered over the years from many non- profit organizations. He has also served the PDP as The SW Zonal Organising Secretary and As Acting Deputy National Chairman Southwest PDP, Doherty has also served the Nation at the Federal Level as Member of the Board in SMEDAN and also a member of the Governing Council of the Maritime University, Okerenkokoin Delta State.
Engr. Doherty’s rising profile will not be complete without talking about his experiences during his various pursuits to become Governor Of Lagos State, especially in 2007 when a close ally and mentor of his was killed, Engr. Doherty with 13 other Governorship Aspirants were incarcerated for over a month at the Alagbon Police Station while Engr. Funsho Williams death was being investigated, He was eventually released on his personal recognition! Doherty says that the sober times spent in detention helped him overcome a lot of life’s psychological challenges.
Doherty was appointed DG Of Obanikoro’s Independent campaign in 2007 and an Adviser of Strategy during Jimi Agbaje’s Campaign in 2015! He believes in politics without bitterness and a non-believer in Do or Die Politics!
Since 2007, Doherty has been a champion for good affordable education and properly managed statewide healthcare system, especially for the masses. He has also been consistent with calls for the various administrations of the AD/ACN/APC in Lagos state to show transparency and accountability on how the taxpayers’ money being collected are spent. Doherty believes that Lagos State isn’t getting its fair share of development which can be said to be commensurate to its monthly earning.
He voiced furiously against the recently proposed increase in the Lagos Land Use Tax of over 400% by the Akinwunmi Ambode administration, which will suppress economic growth, slow down foreign investments to the State, create potential high rent from landowners and most especially make nonsense in the future of family inheritance when the government is being paid for land many times over as generations come and go. Doherty is a strong believer in Youth and Women Security, he believes that Government should get its fair share as far as taxes are concerned but not at the expense of hard-working Lagosians.
Engr. Doherty has said that he will work with his team in slashing the states foreign and domestic debt, since it is something he had done during a crises period being experienced by one of his companies about 15years ago!
Engr. Doherty is married with children. He is a Golf enthusiast who enjoys spending quality time with his family and close friends.
His longevity, consistency and belief in the party recently earned him the chairmanship seat of the People’s Democratic Party in Lagos. He was sworn-in on Monday, December 2, 2019, at the prestigious 10 Degrees Event Center in Lagos.
City People’s DAMILARE SALAMI (08155134152) caught up with him after the event and he alongside other journalists quizzed him on his emergence as the new Lagos PDP chairman and how he intends to oust the ruling APC in 2023. Below are excerpts from the interview, enjoy.
Congratulations on today’s inauguration. But why is your biggest leader in Lagos, Chief Bode George is not here today that you are being sworn in as the chairman of PDP in Lagos. Is that not a minus for this occasion?
No. It’s not. Chief Bode George does not need to be at the swearing-in. He has other people here. He had the former Chairman, Tunji Sholeye. He has the Chairman of the Elders’ council in Lagos State, Dr Ogunkelu also here. So if the leader of the elder’s council which Chief Bode George also sits as a member was here, then definitely, his presence is also felt then.
The question is that if Chief Bode George doesn’t sign-off on your being the chairman of PDP in Lagos; is that a big question mark on your authority and leadership?
Well, that is something that a lot of people tend to believe but that is not correct.
Are you saying Chief Bode George not a factor here?
He is, but we have a party and at the end of the day, the party is supreme. Chief Bode George is my father, our father, I’m his son, and he’s my leader, my teacher, my mentor. I’m sure you also quarrel with your father even though we don’t even have any quarrel. The party has definitely moved along, we have 20 local governments represented here, we have the entire state Excos here, we have leaders, former chairmen, former ministers, so most likely, you are definitely getting the whole thing wrong. He’s quite an elderly man now so we can just call him to come anywhere, just like that.
Another factor in the politics of Lagos is the Bola Tinubu factor. The AD, ACN and APC have always defeated your party since 1999. In this sense, you have tried to be the governor of Lagos but that didn’t work out. What gives you the impression that the PDP can swing the tide this time around?
Let me put it straight to you, right now, we are not looking at 2023 as it is. Our party is going into the bunkers and trenches right now and we are going to come out with a serious structure that is going to take us right to the polling units before the elections. And I’m calling you, with well over 20 million people in Lagos state, with only a little over a million voting in Lagos state, and with people like SegunAdewale behind me, with people like Jimi Agbaje behind me, we have a lot of people, a lot of political juggernauts including myself; that are all going to support me. Let me put something straight to you when you have all the excos, all the local government chairmen, for the first time, first time in 20 years fall behind one person, definitely, you must see a change in the election. I’m not going to say much, just give us six months, and you will see a different PDP in Lagos.
The other faction led by Adegbola is in court… and the court says the status quo must be maintained
No, no, no…. There is no faction in court. Let me explain this to you. There is a mix-up and the mix-up must be rectified. Out of the 8 people that supposedly went to court because they did not emerge, we have 7 that wrote to the court that they are no longer interested in the case. So we are just appealing to the former acting chairman to follow the tenets of the party’s constitution and we will continue to plead with him.
Is that to say that you have conceded defeat to the APC because you said 2023 is not in your sight but that you are going to work?
We are going to work… and I said in six months’ time, come and ask me questions about 2023. You see, we are still in court with APC on 2019 election. We have an appeal in Ajeromi/Ifelodun that is still coming up. So we are still doing the post mortem of the 2019 election.
So you’ll upset the Tinubu factor in Lagos in the 2023 election?
My brother, I studied abroad, I’ve been in business, I’ve been in the party, I’ve been in the political terrain for more than 30 years. You know me, so definitely you know what we are capable of doing.
But you have not told us what you will do…
We cannot tell you and we will not tell you but definitely, as I said earlier, ask us in six months.
In your maiden speech, you said you will abolish the 65-35 sharing formula. Can you please elaborate on that?
That shouldn’t be news to you. In the People’s Democratic Party, we have always shared positions through factions. And that is what it means. The National Working Committee in their own wisdom, under the chairmanship of Uche Secondus and Edi Olafeso in the zone, decided that democracy will prevail and that was why a chairman was duly elected. This was participated by every factor and everyone agreed that Engineer Adedeji Doherty won the election and that is why you have the whole group of elders, leaders, all the exco members, all the local government chairmen fall behind me.
You came up with a 7-point agenda, how achievable is that?
Ask me in 6 months’ time and you will be able to answer for yourself. Thank you.
READ ALSO: HOW PRINCE NNAMDI WOKEKORO WAS BURIED IN PH
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
