Daud Olatunji
The Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Hajia Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, has declared that no amount of money can suppress the will of the electorate, insisting that voters will determine the outcome of the 2027 governorship election.
Kolapo said politicians who relied on distributing money to win elections would only impoverish themselves, adding that the growing support for the PDP indicated that Ogun residents were prepared to make their choices through the ballot.
She spoke during a condolence visit to a bereaved party supporter, Alhaja Kuburat Sowunmi, in Ijemo, Abeokuta, where a crowd of supporters gathered to receive her.
The PDP deputy governorship candidate, who is also the Iya Sunnah of Egbaland, said her experience during the party’s ward-to-ward mobilisation exercise had convinced her that voters could not easily be swayed by financial inducements.
She also claimed that the PDP was recording increasing defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress, despite what she described as propaganda surrounding the exclusion of names from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s list.
According to her, the political developments in the state indicate that the electorate is increasingly prepared to challenge the ruling party in 2027.
“Ladi Adebutu is the next governor of Ogun State. Let them continue spending. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo is also going back to the Senate. Omo Owo, Toyin Amuzu, Dele Olaleye and all our candidates will emerge victorious,” she declared.
Kolapo further urged Ogun indigenes yet to identify with the PDP to reconsider their political positions, arguing that the state’s resources and political future should be determined by its people.
She said the Adebutu-Kolapo ticket represented an ‘Ogun for Ogun’ agenda aimed at ensuring that the state’s resources benefited its residents.
“Ogun State cannot be conquered with money that belongs to Nigeria. Those who are yet to cross to the good side of history should not sell their heritage for peanuts that will not last,” she said.
She added that some political actors supporting other parties would eventually realign with the PDP in the interest of future generations.
Meanwhile, the condolence visit turned into a political rally as supporters sang solidarity songs, danced and chanted, “Ogun for Ogun! Power to the people!”
Some residents who spoke at the gathering attributed their support for the PDP ticket to what they described as Adebutu’s philanthropic interventions, including assistance to market women, widows, farmers and indigent students.
A pastor from Oke-Ijemo, Mr Caleb Alao, accused the APC-led government of abandoning some development initiatives established during previous PDP administrations.
“We are tired of the APC government. Many of the schemes established by the PDP administration have been abandoned, and there is joblessness in the state.
“Ladi Adebutu has been empowering our market women and paying school fees for indigent scholars long before elections. That is the kind of leader we want,” he said.
A community women leader, Mrs Folake Adeyemi, also described Adebutu as a familiar political figure whose philanthropic activities had earned him support among residents.
“Adebutu is not a stranger. We know his foundation, and we know what he has done for widows and farmers. APC has brought hardship. The cost of rice, school fees and everything is high. We want a government that will feel our pain,” she said.
Adeyemi also praised Kolapo’s community interventions, claiming that the PDP deputy governorship candidate had organised empowerment programmes in the area twice yearly for about seven years.
She added that supporters were prepared to vote for the PDP candidates and protect their votes during the 2027 elections.
Similarly, an elder in Ward 5, Semiu Bankole, said the ‘Ogun for Ogun’ campaign reflected the desire of residents to protect their heritage from political interests.
“We are Egbas, and we are proud people. We will not allow our ancestral land to be taken over by political traders who only remember Ogun during elections,” he said.
A youth leader, Ahmed Ogunsola, also accused the APC administration of failing to address unemployment and provide adequate support for small businesses.
He said Adebutu’s empowerment initiatives had attracted the support of some youths in Abeokuta South, adding that they would mobilise for the PDP in 2027.
The meeting ended with residents pledging to take the ‘Ogun for Ogun’ campaign to communities and polling units across Abeokuta South ahead of the 2027 elections.
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