As the 2027 elections draw near, the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, Lateefat Sowunmi-Kolapo, on Friday decried the economic hardship in the state, urging residents to collect any money offered by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and still vote the party out.
Sowunmi-Kolapo, who insisted that such money belongs to the people, spoke at a community stakeholders’ meeting in Obantoko, Odeda Local Government Area, where she said relief has come.
According to her, allowing strangers to rule the state would be inviting calamity, stressing that the people must protect their heritage.
“Can you mention someone who remembered us during COVID-19 and was not in government and had no access to public funds? It is only Adebutu. If we allow strangers to rule over us, then we have allowed calamity. We want to protect our heritage,” she said.
“Let your votes be massive and protect your votes. Stand by your votes. There will be security provisions. They may want to offer you money, the money is yours, take their money and vote for Ladi. This suffering is enough.”
Addressing the crowd drawn from American Junction, Asalu, Akete, Akinyele, Akepe Oluwa, Kangudu and other communities in Obantoko, the Deputy State Chairman of the PDP, Abiodun Ogunremi, urged them to prove their love for the party.
Ogunremi called on residents to resist any plot to impose strangers on them.
“Ask them of their ancestry. They don’t have any in Ogun State. So don’t give strangers any chance to rule over us and don’t allow them to intimidate you during the poll,” he said.
Also speaking, PDP Board of Trustees member, Fasiu Bakenne, urged residents to resist intimidation and vote massively for the party, while the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta North/Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, Dele Olaleye, said only an Adebutu government would guarantee real local government autonomy.
“Your votes will make the effort by Adebutu to return local government autonomy in Ogun to be realised,” Olaleye said.
Responding, the Chairman of PDP in Obantoko Ward, Ezekiel Adeleye, said the community sees Sowunmi-Kolapo not as a distant politician but as a neighbour.
“You are one of us and we will vote for you. You live with us here. This is our collective struggle. We will rally people to vote for Hon. Ladi Adebutu and all other candidates of PDP in the 2027 general elections,” Adeleye said.
