Adebutu Allays Supporters’ Fear Over Omission From INEC List For Ogun Gov Election

Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party has described the omission of his name from the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a temporary setback which he says will not distract him and his supporters in the build-up to the general elections.

He spoke in Abeokuta, the state capital, while receiving defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties at the party’s secretariat as part of the realignment towards the 2027 elections in the state.

While expressing confidence in an eventual victory for him and his party, the party’s governorship candidate, however, urged his supporters, political associates and faithful not to be dissuaded by the antics of the opposition parties in the state.

“I am a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party. That simply says, for the last 20 years, every election cycle, I have been a candidate of PDP. My question is, at what stage did I leave or vacate the party?

“Where is the proof that, for one day, I even visited the APC office, for that matter? For over 20 years, five consecutive times, I’ve been a candidate of the PDP. We were able to register 19,800 and something. We targeted 20.

“Because of time, we couldn’t make 20,000. We registered 19,800 plus. In that process, I was a very active participant in organising and financing that registration. I registered, and my number is 1536.

“For somebody who registered 20,000, whose number comes over 1,536? So, I don’t know the magic; the story is up to Nigerians to decide. But what I know is that we are all entitled to participate in the democratic process. We are all entitled,” he said.

“As Nigerians, we have a fundamental right. Should it be a party’s policy to hold hands of other parties? Should it be a party’s policy? They should tell us. If it is the policy of the APC to make sure they run on our coast.”

“But we will resist this. Why shouldn’t my name come out? There is justice in Nigeria now.”

Adebutu said he was duly registered by the PDP and had been a member for two decades.

“I orchestrated registration in this state. I have been a card-carrying member of the PDP for the last 20 years.

” They held primaries. For me, the precondition for holding primaries is that you must have been attested to be a party member.”

“They are only fooling around, all this shenanigans they are doing. They want to slow down the process and make the people of the state, you know, disenfranchised, disenchanted, discomforted. But never mind,” he said.

“It’s the process. It will end. And by the time it ends, you know, it will be even a blessing to us.

“It has just slowed us down. In this period, we have visited 12 of the 20 local governments. We continue the process. Of the 236 wards, we have visited 140 now. Tomorrow again, we continue. Because we know that the trick is to get us distracted,” he added.

“We will not be distracted. We keep our eyes on the ball, and we shall win. Thank you very much.”