Adebutu Defends PDP Eligibility After Exclusion From Ogun Governorship List

Oladipupo Adebutu has sought to reassure members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State after his name did not appear among the governorship candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 election.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Adebutu maintained that he remains a registered PDP member and said he fulfilled the steps required for his nomination. According to his account, he completed the party’s digital membership process within the required period, obtained a verified membership card and had the necessary documentation forwarded to INEC on time.

Adebutu also pointed to the PDP primary that selected him for the governorship contest. He said INEC personnel were present as observers during that exercise and that documents relating to the process were made available for confirmation. These assertions represent Adebutu’s explanation of his eligibility and the circumstances surrounding his absence from the published list.

He further questioned why the Ogun PDP’s candidates for legislative contests appeared on INEC’s lists while his governorship candidature did not. Adebutu alleged that the state’s ruling All Progressives Congress had placed improper pressure on the electoral commission. He also accused opponents of previously creating difficulties for the PDP through restrictions on campaign billboards, incidents at campaign venues and harassment of party members. The source did not independently establish those accusations.

Adebutu said the PDP intends to address the matter through the appropriate processes and asked supporters to remain peaceful while those steps are taken. He expressed confidence that the dispute would eventually be resolved and said the party would continue pursuing its political objectives in Ogun State.

The APC rejected the suggestion that it was responsible for Adebutu’s omission. Kayode Odunaro, media adviser to Senator Solomon Adeola, said the opposition party should not blame the APC or INEC for problems he attributed to the PDP’s failure to meet administrative and legal requirements.

Odunaro argued that the APC and other parties are competing under INEC’s supervision and questioned how the ruling party could be held responsible for another party’s compliance problems. He also said candidates elsewhere had faced comparable consequences over what he described as failures to satisfy electoral rules.

Speaking for Adeola’s camp, Odunaro said the APC was prepared to compete against any governorship candidate formally recognised by INEC. He nevertheless argued that attention should remain on candidates appearing on the electoral commission’s list rather than those currently excluded.

The dispute therefore leaves two sharply different accounts: Adebutu says his party membership, primary process and documentation satisfy the requirements for his candidacy, while the APC side attributes his absence to procedural shortcomings. The source did not report a new determination from INEC resolving those competing positions.