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…Insists candidate’ll contest, win 2027 poll
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of mounting pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of its governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, from the commission’s final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.
INEC, on Saturday, released the final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election in Ogun State, featuring 13 candidates, but Adebutu and his running mate were absent.
The list signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, did not state the reason for the omission. Adebutu’s absence had, however, followed questions over whether his name appeared on the PDP membership register submitted to INEC.
Reacting, the Ogun State PDP urged its supporters to remain calm, insisting that Adebutu was duly registered as a member of the party and that his name would ultimately be published by INEC.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, the party alleged that the omission was the result of pressure mounted on the electoral commission by the ruling APC.
“The public should be informed that the omission of our candidate’s name in the INEC list is as a result of the undue pressure mounted by the ruling party on INEC out of fear of losing the election to our party,” the PDP alleged.
It maintained that Adebutu had never left the PDP and had complied with the party’s digital membership registration process.
“We state emphatically that our candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, who has never left the Peoples Democratic Party at any time, duly registered as a member of the party within the designated period of the digital registration, with his party membership card printed, verified and submitted to INEC at the stipulated time,” the statement said.
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The party expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved and Adebutu would participate in the election.
“The Peoples Democratic Party enjoins the good people of Ogun State to be calm and rest assured that our governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu’s name will be published by the Independent National Electoral Commission and he will emerge as the Governor of Ogun State in the 2027 General Elections,” it said.
The PDP also urged its members and supporters not to be distracted by the development, declaring that it remained focused on defeating the APC in the election.
“While we urge the good people of Ogun not to be perturbed nor distracted from our focus of voting out the APC, we remain resolute, unfazed and unwaveringly confident that our candidate is marching straight to a decisive victory in the Ogun 2027 governorship election,” it added.
According to the party, “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.”
It called on its supporters and party faithful to remain “steadfast, vigilant and unintimidated,” insisting that what it described as its movement to “rescue Ogun State and bring relief to our people” would continue.
There was no immediate response from the APC to the PDP’s allegation that it pressured INEC, while the commission’s published final list did not explain why Adebutu and his running mate were omitted.
