Adebutu Dismisses INEC List Omission, Receives 1,000 APC Defectors in Ogun

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has downplayed the omission of his title from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listing of governorship candidates, describing it as a brief setback that won’t have an effect on his ambition to contest the 2027 governorship election.

Adebutu made the remarks on Monday whereas welcoming greater than 1,000 defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the PDP on the celebration’s state secretariat in Abeokuta.

The defectors, led by former House of Representatives member Segun William, had been obtained alongside key PDP leaders, together with the celebration’s Ogun Central senatorial candidate, Iyabo Obasanjo.

Addressing celebration members and supporters, Adebutu expressed confidence that the problems surrounding his exclusion from the INEC listing could be resolved, insisting that he stays a loyal and registered member of the PDP.

He maintained that his long-standing participation in elections beneath the PDP platform over the previous 20 years demonstrates his dedication to the celebration and challenged critics to offer proof that he had ever defected to a different political celebration.

“I have been the PDP candidate in every election cycle for the last 20 years. At what point did I leave the party? Where is the proof that I even visited an APC office, let alone joined the party?” he queried.

Adebutu additionally revealed that he performed a significant position in organising and funding the celebration’s latest membership registration train in Ogun State, which he stated enrolled greater than 19,800 members. According to him, his personal registration quantity, 1536, additional confirms his standing as a PDP member.

He alleged that the controversy over his title on the INEC listing was meant to distract the opposition and discourage voters however assured supporters that the celebration would stay centered on its targets.

“The controversy surrounding my name on the INEC list is an attempt to distract the opposition and disenfranchise voters. We will not lose focus,” he stated.

The PDP chieftain additional disclosed that the celebration had intensified its grassroots mobilisation marketing campaign throughout the state. He stated marketing campaign groups had already visited 12 of Ogun’s 20 native authorities areas and greater than 140 of the 236 wards.

According to him, the outreach train would proceed regardless of makes an attempt to divert consideration from the celebration’s preparations for the 2027 elections.

“We will keep our eyes on the ball and continue engaging the people. We are determined to remain focused and achieve victory,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, William stated their choice to go away the APC stemmed from dissatisfaction with the ruling celebration’s type of governance and what he described as its failure to uphold democratic values and ship significant improvement in Ogun State.

He defined that though he entered partisan politics in 2007 and finally joined the APC regardless of recommendation to align with the PDP, his expertise inside the ruling celebration satisfied him that it now not mirrored the democratic ideas he believed in.

William expressed confidence within the PDP’s management and stated the defectors had been dedicated to contributing to the political and socio-economic improvement of Ogun State by way of their new platform.

The defection is anticipated to spice up the PDP’s mobilisation efforts as political events start positioning themselves forward of the 2027 basic elections.

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