Daud Olatunji
Hundreds of residents, community leaders and Peoples Democratic Party supporters in Obantoko communities, Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, have pledged their support for the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo.
The declaration was made on Friday when Sowunmi-Kolapo, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, met with community stakeholders and party supporters drawn from American Junction, Asalu, Akete, Akinyele, Akepe Oluwa, Kangudu and other communities in the Obantoko area.
The gathering, which began as a stakeholders’ meeting, turned into a campaign mobilisation as residents described Kolapo as “one of us” because of her residence in the community and pledged to work for the success of the PDP at the 2027 polls.
The development comes barely days after the PDP formally commenced its 2027 governorship campaign in Ogun State, with Adebutu unveiling an agenda that includes a promise to restore local government autonomy.
The residents said Obantoko, which they described as a “PDP Community”, would seek to deliver what they called massive votes for Adebutu and other candidates of the party.
The meeting was attended by PDP state leaders, ward executives, party supporters and Dele Olaleye, the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta North, Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency.
The PDP Chairman in Obantoko Ward, Ezekiel Adeleye, said Kolapo’s presence in the community had strengthened her relationship with residents.
Adeleye said residents regarded the deputy governorship candidate as a neighbour rather than a politician who only appeared during election campaigns.
He recalled what he described as her intervention when residents were raising funds to repair a transformer in the community.
“You are one of us, and we will vote for you. I don’t want us to miss this opportunity.
“You live with us here. The community leaders still refer to your kind gesture a few years back, when you were told that we were contributing money to repair our transformer. You said they should refund what had been contributed so far to the owners and you provided the money.”
Adeleye pledged that the community would mobilise support for Adebutu and other PDP candidates in the 2027 elections.
“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,” he said.
The Deputy State Chairman of the PDP, Abiodun Ogunremi, who represented the state chairman, Abayomi Tella, urged residents to maintain the community’s support for the party.
“We are called PDP communities for a reason and we must prove our love for PDP again next year,” Ogunremi said.
He claimed that the area had performed strongly for the party during previous elections and urged residents to replicate the performance in 2027.
“We have six polling booths and they call us PDP community. We will repeat the feat performed during the last election,” he added.
Ogunremi also accused unnamed political actors of attempting to impose “strangers” on the people, urging voters to examine the background and ancestry of political candidates.
“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.
Ogunremi also highlighted what he described as Adebutu’s philanthropic interventions outside government, including the provision of transformers to communities.
“Adebutu is not yet in government and he has been doing wonders. His father has also been empowering people. No fewer than 700 transformers have been distributed by Adebutu to several communities across Ogun,” he claimed.
He appealed to residents to vote for the PDP, linking the party’s campaign to the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
“Poverty will end and there will be fullness of good governance once he is voted as governor. So, let’s reject the hardship by voting en masse for all the PDP candidates,” Ogunremi said.
PDP Board of Trustees member, Fasiu Bakenne, similarly urged the residents to protect their votes and resist intimidation during the election.
The PDP House of Assembly candidate in the 2023 election, O. Kenny, urged residents to support Adebutu’s promise to restore local government autonomy.
He argued that greater financial and administrative independence for councils would enable communities to benefit more directly from resources accruing to their local governments.
“Stand by your votes. Odeda alone has between N300 million and N400 million allocation. If the local government autonomy promised is actualised, just imagine the benefits that will come to us,” Kenny said.
Olaleye, the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta North, Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, also linked the realisation of local government autonomy to the election of Adebutu.
“Your votes will make the effort by Adebutu to return local government autonomy in Ogun to be realised,” he said.
Adebutu has publicly made local government autonomy a central component of his 2027 campaign agenda.
Addressing the gathering, Sowunmi-Kolapo urged residents to mobilise voters across their families and communities for the PDP ticket.
She cited Adebutu’s philanthropic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of his commitment to residents even when he was not in government.
“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,” she said.
Kolapo urged residents to vote for Olaleye, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and other PDP candidates before voting for Adebutu in the governorship election.
She also told voters to protect their ballots and resist intimidation.
“They may want to offer you money, the money is yours, take their money and vote for LADI,” she said.
The statement was followed by the PDP campaign chant, “ITURA TIDE”, meaning “relief has come”, which drew cheers from the gathering.
“This suffering is enough. You know the first election (Presidential and National Assembly) will determine a lot. So, vote for Dele Olaleye and then vote Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and all other PDP candidates. Then vote for Adebutu as governor,” she added.
Sowunmi-Kolapo was formally unveiled as Adebutu’s running mate in June 2026, with the PDP describing her selection as part of its preparations for the 2027 governorship election.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
