…vows to continue campaign
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has dismissed his exclusion from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election as a temporary distraction, insisting that it would not derail his political activities.
Adebutu spoke on Monday while receiving defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the PDP, maintaining that he remained committed to the opposition party despite the controversy surrounding his membership status.
INEC had omitted both Adebutu and the PDP from its final list of candidates for the Ogun governorship election, which contained 13 candidates.
The list, signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and published on INEC’s website, did not feature any candidate representing the PDP.
The development followed allegations that Adebutu’s name was missing from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC, raising questions about his eligibility to contest under the party’s platform.
However, the former lawmaker rejected suggestions that he was no longer a member of the PDP, challenging anyone questioning his membership to provide evidence that he had defected to another political party.
Adebutu said he had contested elections under the PDP platform for approximately 20 years, arguing that his political history demonstrated his continued loyalty to the party.
“I have been a candidate of PDP five consecutive times. For the last 20 years, every election cycle, I have been a candidate of PDP. At what stage did I leave the party? Where is the proof that for one day, I even visited APC office?” he asked.
He also claimed to have actively participated in the recent PDP membership registration exercise in Ogun State, which he said produced approximately 19,800 new members.
The governorship candidate disclosed that his registration number was 1536, questioning the basis for disputing his membership after his involvement in the exercise.
“For somebody that registered 20,000, whose number is 1536? So I don’t know the magic. The story is up to Nigerians to decide,” he said.
Adebutu subsequently accused the ruling APC in Ogun State of attempting to weaken opposition parties and restrict the democratic space ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He argued that political parties in government should be prepared to defend their records before voters rather than seek to prevent opposition candidates from participating in elections.
“Should it be a party’s policy to hold down other parties? If you mean well and you have done well for your people, you should be able to place your scorecard on the table. You don’t disqualify opponents,” he said.
The PDP candidate further alleged that his supporters were facing harassment, while opposition campaign billboards were being removed or destroyed in different parts of the state.
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Despite the controversy surrounding his exclusion from INEC’s list, Adebutu said his political consultations remained ongoing, disclosing that he had visited 12 of Ogun State’s 20 local government areas and 140 of its 236 wards.
He maintained that his membership of the PDP was valid, insisting that he fulfilled the party membership requirement for participation in its governorship primary.
“There is justice in Nigeria. I was duly registered. I orchestrated registration in this state. The precondition for holding primaries is that you must be attested to be a party member,” he said.
Describing his omission from the final list as an attempt to slow down his political mobilisation and discourage his supporters, Adebutu expressed confidence that the situation would eventually be resolved.
“This is just to slow down the process and make the people disenfranchised and disenchanted. But never mind, it will end and it will even be a blessing to us. We will not be distracted. We keep our eyes on the ball and we shall win,” he said.
He reiterated that he would continue his political engagements across Ogun State despite the development.
