The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of pressuring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude its 2027 governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate from the official list of candidates.
The opposition party also alleged that the APC was mounting pressure on the electoral commission because of fears over its chances in the 2027 governorship election.
The PDP made the allegations in a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, who appealed to party members and residents to remain calm despite the controversy surrounding the INEC list.
Adebayo insisted that Adebutu remained a legitimate PDP member and had complied with the requirements for the 2027 election, including the party’s digital membership registration process.
He said Adebutu’s membership card had been produced, verified and submitted to INEC within the stipulated period, dismissing any suggestion that the former PDP governorship candidate had abandoned 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,” Adebayo said.
He further insisted that Adebutu’s absence from the published list was not an indication that he had lost his party membership or eligibility to contest.
“We state emphatically that our candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, has never left the Peoples Democratic Party at any time,” he said.
The PDP spokesman alleged that the omission was politically motivated, claiming that the APC was attempting to influence the electoral process because of concerns over the opposition party’s prospects.
“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,” he alleged.
The party expressed confidence that INEC would eventually publish the names of its candidates, urging its supporters not to be distracted by the development ahead of the 2027 election.
But the APC rejected the allegation, accusing the PDP of attempting to shift responsibility for what it described as its failure to comply with established electoral procedures.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta by the Chairman of the APC Campaign Council Media and Publicity Committee, Kayode Odunaro, the ruling party said it was prepared to contest the election against any candidate duly cleared and published by INEC.
Odunaro argued that the electoral commission, rather than the APC, was responsible for determining which candidates met the legal and administrative requirements to participate in the election.
“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?” he asked.
The APC spokesman also claimed that candidates in other states had encountered similar problems over alleged non-compliance with electoral requirements.
He therefore urged the PDP to address what he called its internal and administrative shortcomings rather than blaming the APC and its governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola.
“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,” Odunaro said.
