By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on its members and supporters to remain calm following the omission of its governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, from a list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), expressing confidence that the issue would be resolved ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The opposition party alleged that the development was the result of pressure from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which it accused of being apprehensive about the PDP’s chances in the forthcoming election.
The party, however, maintained that Adebutu remained a bona fide member of the PDP, insisting that he had fulfilled the party’s membership registration requirements within the stipulated period.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Arc. Kayode Adebayo, the PDP said, participated in the party’s digital membership registration exercise, during which his membership card was printed and verified before being submitted to INEC within the prescribed timeframe.
“We state emphatically that our candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, has never left the Peoples Democratic Party at any time. He duly registered as a member of the party within the designated period of the digital registration exercise, and his membership card was printed, verified and submitted to INEC at the stipulated time,” the statement said.
The party attributed the omission to what it described as political interference, alleging that the APC was seeking to undermine its chances ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
“The omission of our candidate’s name from INEC’s list is a consequence of the undue pressure allegedly mounted on the commission by the ruling party out of fear of losing the election to our party,” Adebayo stated.
The PDP, however, expressed optimism that Adebutu’s name would be included in the relevant list of candidates, reaffirming its commitment to participating in the 2027 governorship election.
It urged the people of Ogun State not to be distracted by the development, calling on its members and supporters to remain focused on their political objectives and continue mobilising for the forthcoming election.
“While we urge the good people of Ogun State not to be perturbed or distracted from our collective resolve to vote out the APC, we remain resolute, unfazed and unwaveringly confident that our candidate is marching towards a decisive victory in the 2027 governorship election,” the statement added.
The opposition party further maintained that the development would not diminish what it described as the determination of the people of Ogun State to demand better governance and positive change.
“No amount of desperate manipulation, political witch-hunts or calculated distractions can alter the mandate of the people of Ogun State, who are overwhelmingly eager for true leadership and positive change,” the PDP said.
Reiterating its appeal for calm, the party urged its members, supporters and other stakeholders to remain steadfast and undeterred as it intensifies its political activities ahead of the election.
“Once again, we call on all our teeming supporters, party faithful and the general public to remain steadfast, vigilant and unintimidated as the unstoppable movement to rescue Ogun State and bring relief to our people continues to gain momentum,” the statement said.
