….PDP Candidate Alleges APC Intolerance, Poster Destruction, Campaign Obstruction
Daud Olatunji
The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has challenged the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to sue him over his claim that the senator is not an indigene of the state.
Adebutu, a former member of the House of Representatives, said he was prepared to present documentary evidence in court to support his claim, insisting that Adeola should allow the matter to be determined through legal proceedings if he believed the allegation was false.
The PDP candidate spoke on Wednesday at the party’s campaign rally in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, where he also accused the APC-led government of attempting to frustrate the opposition party’s campaign activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Adebutu alleged that PDP campaign posters had been removed or defaced in parts of the state and claimed that the party was prevented from holding its campaign rally in Idowa despite having fulfilled the necessary requirements.
He said the party subsequently moved the campaign to Odogbolu, the hometown of his late mother, Dame Caroline Adebutu.
Adebutu 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?
“They also said that we can’t have our campaign in Idowa, but here we are in Odogbolu, the birthplace of my late mother, Dame Caroline Adebutu.”
The PDP candidate further alleged that his convoy came under gunfire during the campaign, claiming that shots were fired at the windscreen and tyres of his vehicle.
He, however, provided no independent evidence at the rally to substantiate the allegation.
Adebutu also defended his own claim of Ogun ancestry, saying his mother was from Odogbolu while his father, businessman Sir Kesington Adebutu, was from Iperu.
He subsequently challenged Adeola to take legal action over the controversy surrounding the APC candidate’s ancestry.
He said, “I am a bona fide indigene of Ogun State. My mother is from here in Odogbolu and my father, Sir Kesington Adebutu, is from Iperu, so no controversy about where I came from.
“It is however sad that the APC governorship candidate, Senator Adeola, commonly called Yayi, is threatening to sue people because they said that he is from Ekiti State.
“I am daring their lawyers to sue me because the truth is that Yayi is a fake indigene of Ogun State. I am waiting for their lawyer to sue me so that we can go and present all our documents in the court of law.”
Adebutu further alleged that Adeola had been involved in what he described as “project diversion,” claiming that projects meant for other states were being brought to Ogun.
He also criticised the APC administration over what he described as hardship and poor governance, urging voters to reject the ruling party in the 2027 election.
The PDP candidate, however, outlined some of his proposed policies, promising to strengthen local government administration and ensure what he described as genuine financial autonomy for the third tier of government.
He also promised to prioritise the payment of pensioners’ gratuities and protect workers’ cooperative savings.
“We are going to make the local government autonomy work. Grassroots governance and development will be our top priority. Development must be encouraged to start from bottom to the top,” Adebutu said.
The controversy over Adeola’s ancestry followed a statement issued on Tuesday by his media aide, Kayode Odunaro, in which the senator reportedly threatened legal action against APC governorship aspirant Abayomi Hunye and PDP chieftain Folake Marcus-Bello over comments allegedly made about his origin.
Adeola, according to the statement, demanded evidence for claims that he was from Ekiti State and not an indigene of Ogun, warning that those making the allegations could face legal action for defamation.
Speaking at the Odogbolu rally, however, Marcus-Bello maintained her position, saying she stood by her claim concerning Adeola’s ancestry and promising to make further disclosures.
She urged PDP supporters not to be intimidated by the threatened lawsuit.
The former Nigerian ambassador to Zambia and Malawi said the people of Ogun should prepare for what she described as a new era of good governance and accountability.
Also speaking at the rally, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, urged residents to collect and use their Permanent Voter Cards in the 2027 election.
She said the PDP had developed programmes aimed at improving the welfare of residents and pledged that a PDP administration would address what she described as the hardship confronting the people.
Former Chairman of Remo North Local Government and former state chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, John Obafemi, who recently left the APC for the PDP, also urged voters to support Adebutu.
Obafemi said successive APC administrations had failed to adequately address the needs of residents, calling for a return of greater authority to local governments.
The rally was attended by former Commissioner for Finance, Dr Kehinde Sogunle; former Deputy Minority Whip of the Ninth National Assembly, Adesegun Adekoya; Marcus-Bello; Sowunmi-Kolapo; Obafemi and other PDP leaders, aspirants and supporters.
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