The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed allegations challenging the eligibility of its 2027 governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu. The party described the claims that his name was omitted from the party’s official membership register as baseless and unfounded. According to the party's State Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, Adebutu remains a fully registered, financially compliant, and undisputed leader of the party in Ogun State.
The allegations against Adebutu were made by the Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum, which claimed that Adebutu's name was not on the party’s membership register. However, the PDP clarified that all legal and statutory requirements under the Electoral Act regarding party registration and the submission of membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission were strictly satisfied within the stipulated deadlines.
The PDP maintained that the narrative claiming Adebutu was disqualified was a sponsored smear campaign allegedly designed by the All Progressives Congress and its proxy groups to create artificial panic among the electorate. The party claimed that this was an attempt to distract from what it described as key political vulnerabilities ahead of the election.
Adebayo said the primary motivation behind the alleged false narrative was to cover up unresolved questions surrounding the indigeneship status of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi. Senator Adeola's shift of political base to Ogun State after decades of representing Lagos State in the legislature remained a critical vulnerability that the APC was allegedly desperate to conceal.
Furthermore, the PDP alleged that the propaganda was engineered to bury mounting public scrutiny over the alleged diversion of federal constituency projects meant for other states to Ogun State. The party claimed that this tactic was used to falsely project administrative achievements and deceive the people of Ogun State.
The PDP rejected the legal assertions made by ODAF regarding Supreme Court rulings and nomination fee payments. The party emphasised that political eligibility was governed by the Constitution and the Electoral Act rather than press statements issued by politically aligned groups.
The PDP urged INEC to ignore pressure from political proxies, reassuring supporters across Ogun State that Adebutu’s nomination process remained intact and that he remained fully eligible to contest the 2027 governorship race. The party expressed confidence in Adebutu's ability to lead the party to victory in the upcoming election.
Key points
- Ogun PDP dismisses opposition claims against Adebutu's eligibility
- Adebutu remains fully registered and eligible to contest the 2027 governorship race
- PDP accuses APC of sponsoring smear campaign against Adebutu
