The campaign train of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 governorship election brought Ijebu-Ode and Odogbolu towns in Ogun State to a standstill on Wednesday. A large crowd of party supporters had mobilized to welcome PDP gubernatorial candidate Ladi Adebutu and his running mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo. The rally turned into a carnival with thousands of indigenes, market men and women, okada riders, farmers, youths, and party faithful pouring into the streets, chanting victory songs.
The presence of PDP candidate for Ogun East Senatorial District, Femi Omotayo Omo-Owo, added to the excitement of the procession, which was choked with human and vehicular traffic. Supporters waved banners, party flags, and placards bearing photos of Adebutu and Kolapo, calling on bystanders to vote for the PDP in the next year's elections. The procession moved from Lagos Garage Area to Kashiru, with supporters increasing in numbers and dancing to loud songs from a disc jockey.
At Oke-Aje market, traders abandoned their wares to identify with Adebutu, assuring him of their votes. A sweet potatoes trader screamed, "You're the one we want; we are tired of this hardship." The candidates and other party stalwarts patronized market men and women, distributing bought wares to supporters, showcasing their street credibility. The campaign train also stopped at Dagbuwere market at Idowa, where indigenes trooped out to welcome Adebutu and Kolapo.
Supporters resisted an attack by thugs allegedly loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress at the boundary between Idowa and Ososa, before the procession continued. In Odogbolu, a politically-conscious town in Ogun East, it was a sea of heads as Adebutu's campaign train arrived on Wednesday evening. Canopies mounted since dawn could not contain the crowd, with drummers and famous Odogbo women and men singing in Ijebu dialect, "Ladi de! Ladi de! Omo Ogun ti de!"
Mounting the podium to a thunderous ovation, Adebutu spoke in a mixture of English, Yoruba, and Ijebu, assuring the people of Odogbolu that he came to make a covenant. He vowed to return local government autonomy, pay owed pensions, and gratuity arrears, and promised to fix bad roads. Adebutu also alleged that the current government had misappropriated cooperative society funds and diverted over N4 trillion naira of other states' constituency funds to Ogun.
Other PDP chieftains, including Deputy Governorship candidate Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, John Babafemi, Kehinde Shogunle, Femi Awotayo, Folake Marcus-Bello, and Abayomi Tella, addressed the people, urging them to vote for Adebutu and resist intimidation. They recalled the good governance of PDP in Ogun State and expressed sadness over the current government's alleged bastardization of good governance.
As the campaign train left Odogbolu at sunset, a sea of people trekked behind it to the town's boundary, still chanting: "Ladi ni! Ladi ni tiwa (Ladi is ours)." The campaign was no longer just politics; it felt like a homecoming for a cherished true son of the soil.
Key points
- PDP gubernatorial candidate Ladi Adebutu and running mate Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo were welcomed by thousands of supporters in Ijebu-Ode and Odogbolu, Ogun State.
