The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Ogun State for the 2027 election, Oladipupo Adebutu, has said the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is becoming jittery over the growing strength of the opposition party ahead of the election.
Adebutu also dared the APC governorship candidate and senator representing Ogun West, Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to file a lawsuit against him for describing him as a “fake indigene of Ogun State.”
The PDP governorship candidate said he had enough documents to establish his claim that Adeola is not an indigene of the state.
Adebutu also accused the ruling party of intolerance, alleging that the opposition party had been prevented from erecting its billboards while its posters across the state were being torn down and defaced.
Adebutu stated this on Wednesday during a campaign rally in Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state, where he also accused the APC of allegedly removing and defacing PDP campaign materials.
Recall that Adeola, in a statement on Tuesday issued by his media aide, Kayode Odunaro, threatened to sue an APC governorship aspirant, Abayomi Hunye, and a PDP chieftain, Folake Marcus-Bello, over what he described as a “libelous declaration on national television” that he is from Ekiti State and not an indigene of Ogun State.
The senator warned that unless the two individuals provided evidence of their claims that he is an indigene of Ekiti State within 24 hours, they should be ready for legal action for defamation.
Speaking at the rally, however, Adebutu challenged the senator to drag him to court if he was sure that the claim was false.
He said, “The truth is that APC is already jittery, they are in panic mode because they are well aware that the next government in power in the state come 2027 will be the PDP. They said we can’t have our billboards erected and now they are defacing and removing our posters, why are they afraid?
“It is however sad that the APC governorship candidate, Sen Adeola commonly called Yayi is threatening to sue people because they said that he is from Ekiti State. Did he think that these people were talking about what is not real? I am daring their lawyers to sue me because the truth is that Yayi is fake indigene of Ogun State.
“I am waiting for their lawyer to also sue me so that we can go and present all our documents in the court of law. They first claimed that they are from Joga, later they said Ishaga, Ilaro and all that… I am waiting for their lawyer to write me so that we can show the whole world the truth.
“The senator is also neck deep in project diversion. He is bringing projects for Enugu, Katsina and others to Ogun State, that is nothing but maladministration. Let us ask them who is Mr Augustine, they should tell us who is Mr Augustine.
“What I am saying here today is nothing personal but about protecting the future of our dear state. The hardship and bad governance must not be tolerated beyond 2027.”
Speaking earlier, the deputy governorship candidate, Lateefah Sowunmi-Kolapo, urged the people to turn out in their large numbers with their voter cards to end what she described as the insensitive government of the APC come February 16, 2027.
Also in his remarks, former Chairman of Remo North Local Government and ex-ALGON chairman in the state, John Obafemi, urged the people of the state to use their votes to reject what he described as the bad government of the APC.
Marcus-Bello, while speaking at the event, urged the people not to be distracted or intimidated by Yayi’s lawsuit, saying she stood by her claim that the senator is not an indigene of Ogun State and that she would reveal more in the coming weeks.
She urged the people of the state to get set for what she described as a new dawn of good governance, development and accountability, adding that an incoming PDP government was ready to restore the lost glory of the state.
Efforts to get Adeola’s reaction, however, proved abortive, as calls made to the line of his media aide, Odunaro, were not connecting, while he had yet to respond to enquiries sent to his WhatsApp as of the time of filing this report.
Ekiti indigeneship claim: Sue me too – Ogun PDP’s Adebutu dares Yayi