The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, has dismissed the exclusion of his name from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list of governorship contestants, describing the development as a temporary distraction.
Adebutu maintained that the omission would not affect his ambition to contest the 2027 governorship election, expressing confidence that the controversy would eventually be resolved.
He spoke while receiving more than 1,000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who defected to the PDP during a reception at the party’s state secretariat along IBB Boulevard Road in Abeokuta.
The defectors were led by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Segun William, and received by Adebutu alongside other party leaders, including the PDP senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo.
Addressing the gathering, Adebutu reaffirmed his membership of the PDP, arguing that his political activities and participation in elections under the party’s platform over the past two decades demonstrated his loyalty.
He challenged those questioning his party affiliation to provide evidence that he had ever defected to another political platform.
Adebutu also disclosed that he participated in organising and financing the PDP’s recent membership registration exercise in Ogun State, which he said recorded more than 19,800 members.
He revealed that he registered under number 1,536 during the exercise, describing it as further evidence of his continued membership of the opposition party.
The governorship hopeful alleged that the controversy surrounding his omission from INEC’s list was intended to weaken the opposition and discourage voters. He, however, assured supporters that the party would remain focused on its preparations for the 2027 elections.
On the party’s mobilisation efforts, Adebutu said the PDP campaign team had visited 12 of Ogun State’s 20 local government areas and more than 140 of its 236 wards.
He added that grassroots engagements would continue across the state despite the challenges facing the party.
Adebutu expressed confidence in the PDP’s electoral prospects, insisting that the party would not allow the INEC list controversy to derail its campaign activities.
Meanwhile, the leader of the defectors, Segun William, attributed their decision to leave the APC to dissatisfaction with the party’s governance approach and what he described as its failure to uphold democratic principles and deliver meaningful development in Ogun State.
William recounted that he joined partisan politics in 2007 and eventually aligned with the APC, despite earlier suggestions from associates that he join the PDP.
He said his experience within the ruling party had since convinced him that it no longer represented the democratic values and development objectives he believed in.
The former lawmaker maintained that the defectors were joining the PDP to contribute to the political and socio-economic development of Ogun State.
He also expressed confidence in the party’s leadership, describing the APC as increasingly unable to accommodate the political aspirations of its members and residents of the state.
William thanked Adebutu and other PDP leaders for facilitating their reception, expressing optimism about the party’s prospects ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
