Former Benue State Governor and PDP leader Chief Samuel Ortom has called on party members to shun violence and focus on issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election. Ortom made the call while interacting with PDP members in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State. He emphasized that the PDP has presented credible and experienced candidates, and urged party members to take their campaigns directly to the electorate.
Ortom assured PDP members that the party leadership would remain committed to protecting the votes of its candidates. He called on members to remain peaceful, focused, and united throughout the electoral process. Ortom also expressed appreciation to the people from the Tyoshin extraction of Gwer West for their consistent support. He described his wife, Dr. Mrs. Eunice Ortom, as a daughter who has adequately prepared herself for legislative responsibilities through her academic qualifications and experience.
Dr. Mrs. Eunice Ortom, the PDP candidate for Benue North-West Senatorial District, received traditional blessings ahead of the elections. She expressed appreciation to her parents for their continued support and solidarity, assuring them that she would not disappoint them if elected in 2027. Ortom's wife is a candidate for the senatorial district, and he urged the people to support her aspiration to represent them at the Senate.
In a related development, the Ogun State Chapter of the PDP has dismissed reports questioning the eligibility of its candidate for the 2027 governorship election, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu. The party described allegations of the omission of Adebutu's name from the official membership register of the PDP as a baseless fabrication orchestrated by political detractors.
The Ogun State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kayode Adebayo, clarified that Adebutu remained a fully registered, financial, and undisputed leader of the party in Ogun State. The party also affirmed that all legal and statutory requirements under the Electoral Act regarding party registration and submission of membership registers to INEC were strictly satisfied within the stipulated deadlines.
The PDP maintained that the narrative claiming Adebutu was disqualified was a sponsored smear campaign designed by the APC and its proxy groups to create artificial panic among the electorate and distract from key political vulnerabilities ahead of the election. According to the PDP, the primary motivation behind the false narrative was to cover up unresolved questions surrounding the indigeneship status of the APC's candidate.
The developments in both Benue and Ogun states are significant ahead of the 2027 general election. Ortom's call for peaceful and issue-based campaigns is a welcome development, while the Ogun PDP's dismissal of the report on Adebutu's eligibility is a boost to the party's governorship ambition. The PDP is working to ensure that its candidates are credible and capable of seeking the mandate of the people.
Key points
- Ortom urges PDP members to shun violence and focus on issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election.
- Ogun PDP dismisses report questioning Adebutu's eligibility for the 2027 governorship election.
- PDP affirms that all legal and statutory requirements regarding party registration and submission of membership registers to INEC were strictly satisfied.
