Adebutu ignores INEC setback, presses on with ‘Ogun for Ogun’ campaign

Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship nominee in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, have vowed to defend what they described as the “Ogun for Ogun” mandate, insisting that the state must be governed by leaders who understand its history, heritage and developmental challenges.

The declaration came as Adebutu and his running mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, intensified their ward-to-ward mobilisation ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election, despite the controversy surrounding their exclusion from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) updated list of candidates.

The campaign, which has taken the PDP team to communities across the state, has provided opportunities for residents to engage the governorship hopefuls on their seven-point development agenda, tagged “ITURA DE”, while highlighting challenges confronting their communities.

At several engagements, supporters pledged to mobilise voters for the PDP, arguing that the next governor must be familiar with the peculiar needs of Ogun people and committed to protecting the state’s political and cultural heritage.

They also complained about deplorable roads, unemployment, inadequate agricultural support and the neglect of rural communities, urging Adebutu to prioritise infrastructure, mechanised farming and economic empowerment if elected.

Some stakeholders took a stronger position, declaring that allowing what they described as an outsider to govern Ogun would amount to a betrayal of the state’s founding ideals.

Speaking at Alagada Ward in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, a market leader, Mrs Folasade Ogunye, said women in the community had endured years of neglect and were determined to support a candidate who understood their struggles.

“We, the women of Obafemi Owode, have suffered neglect. Our roads to the markets are bad and our children need jobs. We want someone who grew up here, who knows our language and our struggles.

“Apart from that, it would be a disservice to the memory of our heroes for an outsider to dictate the fortune of our people.

That is why we have pledged to go from house to house to secure this mandate. It is about our pride as Ogun indigenes,” she said.

At Alapakooni community, also in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, some persons described as members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reportedly set bunches of brooms ablaze to symbolise their decision to abandon the party.

They accused the ruling party of failing to satisfactorily address questions surrounding the identity of its governorship candidate, declaring that they would rather support someone whose background and commitment to the state they claimed to know.

A community youth coordinator, Tunde Akinola, said political loyalty should not override the interests of the state.

“We decided to join this ward meeting today with our incoming governor, Adebutu, because we love our state and can’t trade it on the altar of politics. We want to follow the person we know and that will deliver,” he said.

At Onidunu Ward, a farmer, Deji Bamidele, said the agricultural component of Adebutu’s development agenda had attracted the interest of farmers who were struggling with inadequate equipment and poor access to modern farming facilities.

“In this community, farming is our life but we have been left with cutlasses while other states use tractors. When Adebutu explained ITURA DE and how agriculture will be mechanised, we saw hope.

“We are committing our farmers’ cooperative of over 300 members to this ‘Ogun for Ogun’ cause to ensure our land is governed by our own,” he said.

Similarly, at Owode Ward 3, a retired teacher, Alhaja Sariyu Bankole, said her support for the campaign was informed by the need to preserve the state’s political legacy and ensure that its leadership remained responsive to the aspirations of the people.

“We cannot mortgage our heritage. Ogun State is the home of great leaders. Allowing non-indigenes to take over will erase our history. I have told all my former students and their parents in this ward that we must vote for our own. That is our covenant,” she declared.

In Ward 10, Sagamu Local Government Area, a youth leader, Comrade Bayo Oduwole, said young people were prepared to move beyond expressions of support and participate actively in voter education and grassroots mobilisation.

“Courageous indigenes of this state have said we should not allow strangers to rule over us and we agree completely. The ‘Ogun for Ogun’ mandate is not about tribalism, it is about competence and belonging.

“We know Adebutu’s family history here. We know all that they have done. We know how compassionate Iya Sunnah has been. We will mobilise our youth with voter education and door-to-door campaigns to ensure victory,” he said.

Responding to the declarations, Adebutu thanked residents for their reception and assured them that his administration, if elected, would address the longstanding challenges confronting communities across the state.

He said the ward engagements had strengthened his conviction that residents wanted a government capable of responding directly to their needs rather than one disconnected from grassroots realities.

“This tour has shown me that our people are yearning for true homegrown leadership. The ITURA DE agenda is not just a slogan, it is a social contract to restore dignity, fix our roads, empower our farmers, create jobs for our youth and return Ogun State to true glory.

“We are not just campaigning, we are listening, and we will deliver,” he said.

The mobilisation is continuing against the backdrop of Adebutu’s unresolved candidacy dispute with INEC, which omitted him and his running mate from its October 10 final list and retained their exclusion in the updated list published on October 31.

The commission rejected Adebutu’s petition seeking a review of the decision, following questions over compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, relating to party membership registers.

The Ogun PDP has rejected the basis of the exclusion, insisting that Adebutu remains a duly registered member of the party and was validly nominated. Adebutu has also maintained that the controversy would not distract him from his governorship ambition or the party’s grassroots mobilisation.

Sowunmi-Kolapo assured residents that the PDP’s proposed administration would give particular attention to women, children, education, primary healthcare and community development.

She said the reception accorded the campaign team demonstrated the determination of residents to participate in decisions affecting the future of the state.

“What we have seen in all the wards we have visited is genuine love for Ogun State. As a mother and a daughter of this soil, I assure you that our government will prioritise women, children, education and primary healthcare.

“We will not disappoint you. This ‘Ogun for Ogun’ mandate is a mandate for all of us to save our state from dangerous intrusion,” she said.