The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the omission of its governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate from the official list of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It also accused the APC of mounting undue pressure on INEC.
The PDP’s position was contained in a statement issued by the State’s Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, who urged residents and party supporters to remain calm amid the controversy.
He alleged that the omission was a result of pressure from the ruling APC, which he claimed was apprehensive about the PDP’s chances in the forthcoming election.
The party, however, expressed confidence that names of its candidates would eventually be published by the electoral umpire, insisting that the omission would not affect his participation in the governorship election come 2027.
He maintained that Adebutu remained a bona fide member of the PDP, insisting that the former governorship candidate in the 2023 governorship election in the state never left the party.
“Our governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, was duly registered as a member of the party within the designated period of the digital registration, with his party membership card printed, verified, and submitted to INEC at the stipulated time.
“We state emphatically that our candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, has never left the Peoples Democratic Party at any time,” he said.
“The public should be informed that the omission of our candidate’s name in INEC’s list is as a result of the undue pressure mounted by the ruling party on INEC out of fear of losing the election to our party,” the PDP spokesman alleged,” he added.
The party urged the people of Ogun State not to be distracted by the development, calling on them to remain focused on the 2027 governorship election.
But reacting, the state chapter of the APC advised the PDP to face their “failure” and stop the blame game.
“In a press statement issued in Abeokuta, the state capital, by the chairman of the APC Campaign Council Media and Publicity Committee, Kayode Odunaro, the APC said that its candidate for the governorship election is ready to contest with any candidate in the race as certified by INEC.
“APC and its candidates are contestants with other political parties’ candidates in the race towards 2027 under INEC as the umpire and regulatory body,” Odunaro stated. “How can anyone now attribute the failure of PDP to follow through on simple administrative procedures and adherence to rules of the game to pressure from APC on INEC leading to the non-listing of their candidate as a contestant?
“Besides, other candidates from other states suffered the same fate as factional PDP in Ogun State for similar non-adherence to the law. The nationally comatose PDP should stop the blame game on APC and its flag bearer, Senator Solomon Adeola, for all their gambling tendencies in simple matters of following laid down rules.”
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