Ogun PDP Guber Candidate Adebutu Dismisses INEC List Omission
Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate Oladipupo Adebutu brushed aside his omission from the electoral commission list while welcoming new party members.
At a glance
- Oladipupo Adebutu and his running mate were absent from the updated INEC governorship candidate list for Ogun State.
- Adebutu dismissed the omission as a distraction and insisted he remains a committed PDP member.
- More than 1,000 former members of the All Progressives Congress defected to the PDP during the event in Abeokuta.
Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate Oladipupo Adebutu has brushed aside the omission of his name from the electoral commission candidate list, calling it a temporary distraction. Speaking in Abeokuta on Monday, Adebutu maintained that the development would not derail his campaign for the 2027 election.
The politician addressed supporters at the state party secretariat while welcoming more than 1,000 defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress. The new entrants were led by former House of Representatives member Segun William.
INEC List and Membership Dispute
The updated list of governorship candidates published on the Independent National Electoral Commission website left out Adebutu along with his running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo. The electoral body stated that it upheld numerous petitions challenging candidate lists following a Supreme Court judgment regarding political party membership registers.
Addressing the gathering, Adebutu defended his party membership history spanning two decades and challenged critics to prove he had ever defected. He stated that he actively financed the recent party registration exercise in the state.
Defectors Join Opposition Fold
William explained that he and his supporters left the ruling party because it failed to uphold democratic principles or bring meaningful progress to the state. The former lawmaker said they decided to align with the opposition to help drive development in Ogun State.
Adebutu noted that despite the electoral commission issue, the opposition party continues its grassroots outreach across the state. He reported that the campaign team has already visited numerous local government areas and wards.
Weighing the Electoral Challenge
The absence of the main opposition candidate from the official electoral commission schedule introduces uncertainty into the state political landscape as parties prepare for the 2027 polls. While Adebutu insists his candidacy is secure and points to active grassroots mobilisation, the enforcement of statutory membership register rules by the electoral board remains a central hurdle for political parties seeking to clear their candidates.
What to watch: Watch for further legal or administrative clarifications from the electoral commission regarding candidate nominations in Ogun State.
Reporting from: Punch, Punch, Daily Post. Spotted an error? Tell us.
- Oladipupo Adebutu
- INEC
- PDP
- APC
- Ogun State
- Nigeria
- Politics