The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over the exclusion of its governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, from the final list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the February 6, 2027 governorship election, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly plotting to frustrate his candidacy.
The opposition party, however, urged its members, supporters and residents of Ogun State to remain calm, expressing confidence that Adebutu’s name would eventually be included in the relevant list and that he would emerge victorious in the forthcoming election.
The PDP’s reaction followed INEC’s publication of its final list of governorship candidates on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in which Adebutu and his running mate were conspicuously absent.
In a statement issued by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Arc. Kayode Adebayo, the PDP alleged that the omission was linked to undue pressure allegedly mounted on the electoral commission by the APC, which it claimed was apprehensive about losing the election.
The party maintained that Adebutu remained a bona fide member of the PDP and had fulfilled all the requirements for party membership registration within the stipulated period.
According to the statement, the governorship candidate participated in the party’s digital membership registration exercise, during which his membership card was printed and verified before being submitted to INEC within the prescribed timeframe.
“We state emphatically that our candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, has never left the Peoples Democratic Party at any time. He duly registered as a member of the party within the designated period of the digital registration exercise, and his membership card was printed, verified and submitted to INEC at the stipulated time,” the statement read.
The Ogun PDP attributed Adebutu’s exclusion to alleged political interference, insisting that the development was an attempt to undermine the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
“The omission of our candidate’s name from INEC’s list is a consequence of the undue pressure allegedly mounted on the commission by the ruling party out of fear of losing the election to our party,” Adebayo stated.
Despite the development, the opposition party expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved before the election, reaffirming its determination to participate fully in the 2027 governorship contest.
The party urged the people of Ogun State not to allow the development to distract them from their political aspirations, encouraging members and supporters to remain focused and continue mobilising for the election.
“While we urge the good people of Ogun State not to be perturbed or distracted from our collective resolve to vote out the APC, we remain resolute, unfazed and unwaveringly confident that our candidate is marching towards a decisive victory in the 2027 governorship election,” the statement added.
The PDP further insisted that no alleged political manoeuvring or intimidation would change the desire of the people of Ogun State for improved governance and positive change.
“No amount of desperate manipulation, political witch-hunts or calculated distractions can alter the mandate of the people of Ogun State, who are overwhelmingly eager for true leadership and positive change,” the party said.
Reiterating its appeal for calm, the opposition party called on its members, supporters, party faithful and other stakeholders to remain steadfast, vigilant and undeterred as it continued its political activities ahead of the forthcoming election.
“Once again, we call on all our teeming supporters, party faithful and the general public to remain steadfast, vigilant and unintimidated as the unstoppable movement to rescue Ogun State and bring relief to our people continues to gain momentum,” the statement further read.
The PDP’s reaction came after INEC published its final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election in Ogun State without Adebutu and his running mate. The commission did not publicly state the reasons for their exclusion in the published list.
The omission has raised questions about the PDP’s participation in the governorship election, particularly amid concerns surrounding the party’s membership register and the eligibility of its candidate.
However, the Ogun PDP insisted that Adebutu had complied with the party’s membership registration requirements and maintained that its candidate remained eligible to contest the election.
The party reiterated its confidence in Adebutu’s candidacy, assuring supporters that the development would not derail its political ambitions or its determination to bring what it described as relief and positive change to the people of Ogun State.
As of the time of the statement, INEC had not publicly explained the exclusion, while the PDP maintained that it remained committed to resolving the matter and securing Adebutu’s inclusion ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
